THE
USILIERS
ee
RSITY & PUBLIC SCHOOLS BRIGADE
___ (FORMATION &’ TRAINING)
USE SQUARE, LONDON,EC. ©
me
Hid
oy
SES
a
se
aS ad
Be Sears
a
yt
a
M
« a
we there lLayw
2
eae Woo
i"
a)
a
7s
°
rere een
rf
|
Ms
ain
:
eC
NOMA
THE HISTORY
OF THE
ROYAL FUSILIERS
“Ups”
UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BRIGADE
(FORMATION AND TRAINING)
II
CUTOUT OCU TT
1
I
MAMAN MAMMOTH UMOMOTO CMAN TATA C
UNL
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
SMU
PUBLISHED BY “THE TIMES”
PRINTING HOUSE SQUARE .
LONDON, E.C.
MAM RW
a PRINTED BY ae ;
: - HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LD., ae
i! LONDON AND AYLESBURY.
ff
4
=
:
ne
ea «
*
EDITOR’S NOTE
Many members of the U.P.S. and friends of the movement have
given help and advice in the preparation of this book. In parti-
cular should be mentioned Lieutenant Howell, formerly secretary
to the U.P.S. Committee. Without his ungrudging assistance
this book could scarcely have been written, and indeed a great part
of the narrative is based on particulars supplied by him. Others
who have helped in the story of the U.P.S. are Lieutenant Hurry
(the Editor of the Pow-wow, from which many of the book’s illustra-
tions have been reproduced), Major E. J. Stuart, and Messrs. D. L.
Perry, G. T. Moody, and D. K. Parr, all members past or present of
the Brigade. The Hon. Arthur Stanley, Chairman of the U.P.S.
Committee, has shown an unceasing interest in the progress of the
work, and has added to the Editor’s debt by kindly consenting to
write a foreword to it. Lord Lurgan and other members of the
Committee have also given advice and assistance in various ways.
To all these gentlemen, as well as to the many newspapers, men-
tioned in the text, which have accorded permission to use their
chronicles of the doings of the U.P.S., the Editor’s grateful thanks
are due.
It had been contemplated at one time to include a Roll of Honour
of the U.P.S., and some account of their doings in France, but for
various reasons it has been decided to abandon this idea, or at
any rate to postpone it.
July 1917.
ary,
7 Tf sith in wenlorval |
ahvoa: Bice a
it fuaitoset oof tlguode aaiiie
| / 1 wselficuagl) ech see
* Gases fees ar a. “)
r $ ae ‘ bese A wait vt
o Mee is ahh): aan
vil avast Sithahh Ses
:: SSDS eee
; ae A a
a - f ¥
ite OER. 9G he aby oo
; : sere leery! *
; } ¢ » wee
by sath ROO as
ot vet a
I ‘thigh
, at. Ae
rn ee
‘37 inte ,
CONTENTS
PAGE
ForEworD: By THE HONOURABLE ARTHUR STANLEY, C.B.,
M.V.O., M.P. ; ‘ : P 4 : : : 9
CHAPTER I
FORMATION OF THE BRIGADE ; P : “ : i 13
CHAPTER II
WorK AT THE RECRUITING CENTRES: THE MOBILIZATION . 34
CHAPTER III
Epsom, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD! . : ; i «48
CHAPTER IV
THe Camp aT Epsom. : : , : : : See i
CHAPTER V
CLIPSTONE AND SALISBURY. , : ; : : re RF
Tur ‘ Pow-wow”
‘
at
Riad ae
er eae SHEE es
THE HON. ARTHUR STANLEY, C.B., M.V.O., M.P.,
CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE.
8)
LORD LURGAN, K.C.V.0., VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE.
(Swaine.
[9
FOREWORD
TuE story of the raising, training and subsequent military activities
of the University and Public Schools Brigade will be read with
interest not only by the officers and men of the Brigade—and those
connected with them—but also by those students and writers who
in days to come will endeavour to create for themselves and to place
before future generations some picture of the wonderful uprousing
of Great Britain in the autumn of 1914.
The springing into life of this Brigade—familiarly known
as the U.P.S.—is told in this book and I need not enter into it. The
first I knew of it was when I heard that between 2,000 and 3,000
men of the finest physique, all from the public schools and univer-
sities, were marching through the streets of London in perfect order,
drilling whenever they found a convenient bit of ground, and that
they had attracted the notice of Lord Roberts, who had expressed
his admiration of the men and his readiness formally to inspect
them whenever they were ready for that honour. It must be
remembered that at the time the Brigade, or rather the embryo
of the Brigade, had no officers, but in some mysterious way com-
manded itself.
It was with no little trepidation that I suddenly found myself
confronted with the suggestion that I should be chairman of the
Committee which was to make all the necessary arrangements for
the creation of a camp, and for the clothing and equipment of the
men. I hasten to add that the invitation was in no sense due to
oY) 9
10 FOREWORD
any feeling that I was in any way qualified for the position, but
merely to the fact that the Brigade had selected the County Club
of the Royal Automobile Club at Epsom as a suitable place for
a camp, and, as I was the chairman of the Royal Automobile Club,
they thought I might be of use to them.
I duly received official notice from the Army Council that I
was ‘‘ authorized to raise a Brigade of Infantry to consist of four
Battalions and to make such arrangements as may be necessary
for the same’’—an authorization which left a good deal to the
imagination and which could only have been given to an ordinary
civilian in very peculiar times.
The next performance of the Brigade was to march itself down
to Epsom and billet itself—3,200 men—in the neighbouring
villages of Epsom, Leatherhead, and Ashtead. This operation it
carried through without a hitch and without officers. These were
not appointed until some days afterwards.
Many other wonderful things this Brigade did, but I must not
exceed the usual length of a Foreword, and many of the exploits are
told in this book. My own connection with it became practically
nominal only, as I was engaged on other work ; but we were fortunate
enough to secure the help of Lord Lurgan as vice-chairman of the
Committee, and he threw himself energetically into the work. To
him the Brigade owes a very large debt of gratitude, and he, I know,
would like me to put on record the fact that throughout many
months of hard, and often very difficult work, the harmony of the
relations with Brigadier-General W. Gordon Gilmour and the other
officers of the Brigade was never once disturbed. Mr. Julian Orde,
the Secretary of the Royal Automobile Club, also joined our Com-
mittee and gave invaluable help, both to the Committee and to
the Brigade itself.
I cannot end this brief note without reference to the services
of Mr. Henry Howell, the Secretary of the Committee. Even in
those strenuous days when every one was working at full pressure
FOREWORD 11
few people worked as hard as he did. His whole heart was in the
work and he gave his whole time—day and night—ungrudgingly
to the service of the U.P.S. Many were the difficulties which he
removed and the obstacles which he surmounted, and only those
who worked with him know how thoroughly he deserved and won
the very high regard and esteem of officers and men alike, as well
as of his colleagues on the Committee.
It is tempting to write still more of the early days of the U.P.S.
and of their training at Woodcote and of their military achieve-
ments in France, but I refrain, remembering that this is only the
preface to the book and not the book itself. The Brigade in its
short life made a niche for itself in the history of the Great War,
and I count myself fortunate indeed—as do all the members of
the Committee—in having been associated even in a humble way
with the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st Battalions of the Royal Fusiliers,
who won fame for themselves under the more familiar name of
the? UP.S.?
ARTHUR STANLEY.
CHAPTER I
FORMATION OF THE BRIGADE
A STATE of war was declared to exist between Great Britain and
Germany as from 11 p.m. of August 4, 1914. That afternoon
Mr. Asquith had announced in the House of Commons that the
British Government had sent an ultimatum to Germany the
same morning. Then, proceeding to the Bar of the House, he
handed to the Speaker a Proclamation by the King providing
for complete mobilization of the Army. All that day, in ex-
pectation of immediate mobilization, the recruiting offices in
London and throughout the country had experienced a ‘‘ boom,”
the forerunner of the tremendous flood of enlistments that was
soon to sweep over the country. The following day the first
official advertisement calling for unmarried men between the
ages of eighteen and thirty to rally round the flag appeared in
the Press. On August 7 Mr. Asquith in the House of Commons
moved a vote of credit for £100,000,000, and asked for sanction
for an increase of the Army by 500,000 men. ‘The same day,
Lord Kitchener, who had been appointed Secretary of State for
War two days before, issued his appeal for the first 100,000.
He asked for men between the ages of nineteen and thirty to
come forward and enlist for a period of three years, or until
the conclusion of the war. The appeal was accompanied by a
letter from the Secretary for War to the Lords-Lieutenant of
Counties and Chairmen of Territorial Force County Associations,
13
14 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
asking for help in recruiting these men. They were not long
in coming forward. Recruits poured in at the rate of thousands
a day, and when Lord Kitchener made his first speech in the
House of Lords on August 25 he was able to announce that
the first 100,000 had practically been secured. Never in the
history of recruiting had such a boom been witnessed. In all
parts of the country and in all classes of the community young
men laid aside their peaceful avocations at their country’s call.
In these first few days many public school and university men,
uncertain how they could best help their country, and not
realizing that a greater increase in the commissioned ranks than
the military establishments could provide for must necessarily
accompany the increase in non-commissioned ranks, flocked to
the colours. This was only for a couple of days. On August
10 the first advertisements appeared in the Press calling for
junior officers. Two thousand temporary commissions were offered
by the War Office to young unmarried men between the ages
of seventeen and thirty. The offer was extended to cadets and
ex-cadets of University O.T.C.’s or Members of Universities, and
to other young men of good general education. The public
school class now saw the particular form of its duty in the
national emergency more plainly before it, and the 2,000 vacancies
were very quickly filled from this source. So great, in fact,
was the flood of applications for the limited number of com-
missions available that it soon became apparent that applicants
not immediately successful would probably have to wait a long
time before they could hope to obtain commissions, while men
over the age of thirty were not included in the terms of the
announcement, and were, generally speaking, ruled out.
It was in these circumstances that the following letter,
signed “ Kight Unattached,” appeared in The Times of August 26,
three weeks after the declaration of war, when Lord Kitchener’s
First Army of 100,000 men was already nearly complete :
FORMATION OF THE BRIGADE 15
x To the Editor of ‘‘ The Times”
IR,
We attended the recent meeting! at ‘the Hotel Cecil to
consider the formation of a corps of past public schools men,
and found that the organizers only required grey-haired, spare-
time veterans. We are between thirty and thirty-five, absolutely
fit and game for active service. The meeting showed that there
must be hundreds of men in the same position as we are, who,
between the years 1898 and 19038, were marksmen, and attended
the Bisley musketry camps and Aldershot training camps with
school or university corps. We have applied for commissions
in the new Regulars, but find we are too old. We have offered
our services as musketry instructors, and are informed that we
are too young, and that none under thirty-five are selected.
After endless inquiries there seems only one way in which
our services are acceptable, and that is by joining the ranks.
Many advantages would result if we all joined the same regiment,
and all public school men of similar age and qualifications are
invited to attend a formal meeting on Thursday next, the 27th
instant, at the address below, between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., to
discuss the formation of a ‘‘ Legion of Marksmen’”’ with a view
to offering its services en bloc to one of the new battalions now
being formed.
We should be obliged if you would insert this invitation in
your columns.
Yours,
Eicut UNATTACHED.
594 Brook STREET,
GROSVENOR SQuaRE, W.
This was the origin of the Public Schools and University
Brigade, though it was soon seen that the movement could not.
be confined to men of the particular age here contemplated,
that is, between thirty and thirty-five. The circumstances
applied equally to all men of the public school class, irrespective
of age, who had failed to secure commissions immediately, and
1 This was a meeting to promote the formation of training centres, with a view to
preparation for home defence if called upon, for ex-public school men prevented by various
ties from joining the different branches of the service.
16 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
were not disposed to wait perhaps for months before they could
serve their country. There was no question of snobbishness
involved in this desire to serve together. The point was ex-
cellently put by a writer in The Spectator: “‘ There is no sugges-
tion that public school men are better than others, but it is
natural to wish to spend possibly many weary months or years
with people of one’s own upbringing.”
The attendance at this meeting was considerably larger than
was expected, and consequently it was adjourned to Claridge’s
Hotel, where the management very kindly placed a room at its
disposal.
During the discussion which ensued it became known that
six of the original ‘“‘ Eight Unattached’? who had signed the
letter had already enlisted together in a London Territorial
Unit, and consequently were not present. The first proposal of
a few was that those present who wished to enlist should go in
a body and join the same unit. Several of the speakers, how-
ever, felt that the meeting was representative of a very large
class in the country, who were in a similar position, and that
some larger scheme should be adopted which would give a lead
to a very large number of men who were impatiently awaiting
some such direction.
A few proposals were made, which entailed special privileges
being granted by the War Office; but, fortunately, some were
present who knew that such proposals would not be considered
for a moment by the War Office, and that it was only waste
of time to put them forward. After considerable discussion,
Mr. H. J. Boon placed before the meeting a scheme for raising
a force of 5,000 men. The following was the text:
1. Inasmuch as it is known that the applications for tem-
porary commissions in His Majesty’s Army have been greatly
in excess of the number required, and further it is felt that
there are a great number of old public school boys who are
‘ . [9L
90} }TUITIOT) 9} 0} Aaeya.100¢
“‘TTH MOH “H INV?
‘DO}JIWIWIOD }sIy oy} JO UewTeYyD
‘NOOd ‘¢ ‘H UN
{LU
‘LUVOALS ¢£ “A WOrVIN
‘o's'a) ‘NNAA ‘At ‘Il THNOTOO-LOAIT
FORMATION OF THE BRIGADE 17
anxious to serve their country, but at the same time are some-
what chary of joining the regular army with the ordinary run
of recruits, it is proposed to raise a Regiment of old public
school boys.
2. For the purpose of determining what schools are public
schools, all past members of these schools the names of which
appear in the current number of The Public Schools Year-book
shall be eligible for admission to this Regiment.
3. The number of boys at present members of the above
schools is in excess of 30,000, and it is, therefore, felt that
there should be little difficulty in raising a Regiment 5,000 strong
of five battalions.
4. The promoters of the Regiment to obtain the sanction
of the War Office to the formation of the Regiment, which shall
form part of Lord Kitchener’s New Army.
5. In order to save the War Office as much work as possible,
it is suggested that the recruiting should be carried out by a
Committee to be appointed, and that the Committee shall under-
take the medical examination of all recruits in accordance with
War Office instructions.
6. As it is a matter of national importance that recruits
should be obtained as soon as possible, a period shall be fixed,
say fourteen days, within which every effort shall be made to
recruit the 5,000 men required.
7. The Central Organizing Office shall be in London, and
recruiting offices shall also be opened throughout the country.
8. The following shall be asked to render service free:
(a) Doctors, medical examination of recruits.
(b) Newspapers—free displayed appeals for recruits.
(c) Landowners—training-grounds.
9. If found practicable, the men of various schools shall
be recruited in companies—i.e. a Harrow Company, a Charter-
house Company, and so on.
10. The War Office shall be asked to sanction the recruiting
of men between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-five, and
possibly up to thirty-eight or forty, and youths between eighteen
and twenty-one, with parents’ permission.
11. The Regiment to be one recruited for active service
abroad.
12. When the Regiment is at full strength an effort shall
3
18 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
be made to obtain the Royal Assent to its being named “ Prin-
cess Mary’s Own.”
13. The question as to whether the members of the Regiment
should pay for their uniforms and equipment, other than rifles
and bayonets, shall be considered at a later date, and _ the
promoters will not make any statement as to this when calling
for recruits.
The assembly was momentarily somewhat taken aback at this
bold suggestion, as it was a larger idea than had been thought of;
but, after a very little discussion, and being very ably seconded
by Mr. E. J. Stuart, it was unanimously agreed that such a
proposal would prove of the utmost value to the country if it
could be effected. One of the strong points in its favour was
that hundreds of young public school and university men had
applied for commissions, and that it would be a great help to
the War Office if all such men joined one unit, so that they
could, pending acceptance or rejection of their application, not
waste valuable time, but get at once into training.
It was decided to draw up the proposal in detail and place
it before the War Office for approval. The only privilege to
be asked was that the men so enlisted should be allowed to
serve together; otherwise, the unit would be exactly the same
as the regular Infantry.
The following Committee was then elected: Messrs. J. P.
Thompson (chairman), H. J. Boon (secretary), E. J. Stuart,
Capt. George Hallett, N.R., C. F. Beal, J. W. Henderson,
F. Warner-Abbatt, H. F. Fenn, and afterwards were added
Mr. H. Howell, Dr. Hele-Shaw, and Mr. S. M. Gluckstein.
Shortly afterwards Mr. J. P. Thompson resigned the chairman-
ship, and proposed that Mr. H. J. Boon should accept the
chairmanship, and that Mr. H. Howell should be the secretary.
This was carried, and Dr. Hele-Shaw was elected vice-chairman.
The first Committee-meeting was held at 66 Victoria Street,
FORMATION OF THE BRIGADE 19
i
l
—_——— nel
TTT fpewcee coven inna payin ers es MRI NAIM EMD ET Minin, iy Tee
| | | | | | | | |
} \ HAAN AN AN EMT f RAND ART | i i j ‘
\ AT i \] i
vi aires) iN } ih 4 | ! = .
{The ‘* Pow-wow.”
WHO SAID EPSOM?
Westminster, at 9
a.m. the next morn-
ing, Friday, August
28. It was decided
that nothing could
be done until the
sanction of the War
Office was obtained,
and, with that end
in view, the follow-
ing, letter was
drafted to the Sec-
retary of State for
War, setting forth
the proposal and re-
questing permission
to proceed with the
raising of the force.
August 28, 1914.
To the Secretary of
State for War,
War Office, S.W.
SIR,
At a repre-
sentative meeting of
old public school
and university men
held last night at
,. Claridge’s Hotel it
’
was unanimously re-
solved that an effort
should be made to
raise a force of at
20 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
least 5,000 men to form part of the new armies now being
raised.
A committee was appointed for the purpose of obtaining
the sanction of the War Office to the raising of such a force,
and it was further resolved that, in the event of such sanction
being obtained, that such Committee should undertake the
whole work of publicity, enrolment, and medical examination
of recruits in accordance with the instructions of the War
Office.
The Committee are of opinion that the formation of such
a force would result in a very large number of men joining
the New Army who would not otherwise do so. The applica-
tions for commissions have been greatly in excess of the
vacant positions, and it is thought that those who have not yet
obtained commissions would join the rank and file of this new
force.
The Committee intend to make a widespread appeal to old
public school and university men, and will open offices through-
out the country for recruiting purposes, and, as the result of
inquiries made, are confident that they will succeed in raising
the whole of the 5,000 men and propose to set themselves a
fortnight within which to complete this work.
In making this appeal the Committee do not wish to in
any way claim any privileges for the members of this force, and
desire to make it clear that the men will be recruited on
exactly the same terms and conditions as those laid down for
the new regular army.
We have the honour to remain, sir,
Your obedient servants,
This letter was brought before the Under-Secretary for War,
through Mr. M‘Kinnon Wood, and it was arranged that Mr.
Boon should meet the Secretary of State for War on Monday
evening at six o’clock. This meeting proved impossible, owing
to parliamentary duties; and, as the Committee had undertaken
to have the decision of the War Office by Monday, they felt that
something prompt must be done.
FORMATION OF THE BRIGADE 21
It was too late to do anything official at the War Office,
therefore it was agreed that Mr. Boon should endeavour to
obtain an interview with Lord Kitchener at his house. In this
undertaking he did not actually succeed; but he saw Sir George
Arthur, who placed before Lord Kitchener a copy of the letter
already sent to him at the War Office, and returned with a
message :
““Go ahead, and if you can raise 10,000 men I shall be
all the better pleased.”
During this visit the remainder of the Committee was
sitting waiting for an answer in Victoria Street, and the tension,
anxiety, and impatience, as well as the elated feelings when the
successful result was known, may be imagined.
That night the real work of the Committee commenced.
The first thing the Committee did was to print and post up
all over London a large poster, which is here reproduced.
During the discussions which had taken place at the week-
end it had been decided that the effort to raise the force
should not be confined to London and its’ suburbs, but
should embrace the whole of the United Kingdom, and, in
fact, it did actually become world-wide, recruits coming
from as far afield as Chile, Argentina, the West Indies, and
Canada.
In order to bring the movement to the notice of eligible
men in the provinces, it was necessary to open recruiting offices
in the principal cities of the United Kingdom, so that the
whole of the country would be covered by them, and also to
endeavour not to leave too great a distance between such
recruiting offices.
The following letter was sent off on the night of Monday,
22 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
August 31, to the Lord Mayors, Provosts, and Mayors of all the
chief cities and towns in the country :
Tue Pusuio ScHoots AND UNIVERSITY MeEn’s COMMITTEE,
66 VicToRIA STREET, WESTMINSTER, S8.W.
August 28, 1914.
To His Worship the Mayor of ——,
Ex-Puspiic ScHoots AND UNIVERSITIES FoRCcE
Dear Sir,
I am instructed by my Committee to send you the
enclosed particulars relating to the above force, the raising of
which has been officially sanctioned by the War Office, and to
say that they would esteem it a favour if you would, on receipt
of this letter, use your best endeavours to obtain the services
of some ex-Public School or University man of good standing
in your town to immediately undertake the work of providing
a recruiting office.
It has been decided that all provincial recruiting officers be
asked to give their services free and to place at the disposal of
the Committee suitable offices.
The procedure to be adopted by all recruiting officers in
accepting this position is as follows :
(1) Open recruiting offices and to place the posters
which will be issued by the Committee in pro-
minent positions.
(2) Issue to the local press a notice informing intending
recruits of the address of the recruiting office and
the hours between which the same will be open.
(3) Notify the Secretary of the Committee at the above
address, by telegram if possible, of the address of
the recruiting office and telephone number that can
be used in connection with same.
(4) Secure the services of a magistrate or other qualified
persons for the purpose of swearing in recruits.
(5) Obtain the services of qualified medical practitioners
for the purpose of carrying out the medical ex-
amination of recruits.
Thanking you in anticipation, I have the honour to remain,
Your Lordship’s obedient servant,
Sec. to Committee.
FORMATION OF THE BRIGADE 23
The response was very gratifying, and within a week re-
cruiting offices had been opened in over fifty towns. The full
list is: Aberystwyth, Barrow, Bedford, Belfast, Birmingham,
Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Buxton, Cambridge, Canterbury,
Cardiff, Carmarthen, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Chester, Chichester,
Coventry, Denbigh, Derby, Dunbar, Durham, Eastbourne, East
Grinstead, Edinburgh, Exeter, Folkestone, Guildford, Harro-
gate, Hereford, Horsham, Hull, King’s Lynn, Lincoln, Liverpool,
London, Maidstone, Manchester, Monmouth, Norwich, Oxford,
Plymouth, Portsmouth, Reading, Redhill, Reigate, Salisbury,
Searborough, Swansea, Tunbridge Wells, Warwick, Winchester,
Worcester, Worthing.
At an early date the question of funds arose, and after
discussion it was decided to send a letter to the Head Masters of
the Public Schools asking for a subscription of a guinea towards
the expenses of recruiting.
About forty-five Head Masters immediately responded to the
appeal. It will no doubt interest those subscribers to learn that
their contributions nearly covered the initial expenses connected
with the raising of the Brigade. The remaining liabilities incurred,
amounting to over £600, were met by the recruiting rewards cheque
which was sent to Brigadier-General Gordon Gilmour some months
later.
The name adopted temporarily until the War Office gave
official designation was ‘The Old Public School and Univer-
sity Men’s Force.” This title implied that all men enlisted
were members of a Public School or University, and so the
great majority were, but the Committee decided that, as it was
impossible to define a Public School, any man of that class
should be admitted. The recruiting officers were asked to use
their discretion in selection of recruits. At the head recruiting
office in Victoria Street a very careful scrutiny of every appli-
cant was adopted, and many hundreds had to be declined as
24 THE HISTORY OF THE ‘“U.P.S.”
ineligible. Notices appeared in most of the London and pro-
vincial papers, and special mention should be made of the assist-
ance rendered by The Morning Post and The Standard.
It was the desire of the Committee to make the move-
ment as widely known as possible, and within a very short
time it became evident that, through the hearty co-operation
of the Press and the recruiting officers, their wish had been
gratified.
The work at the head office became overwhelming. In-
quiries began to pour in by letter, telegram, and telephone,
besides a continuous stream of applications in person. At times
these streams became crowds which completely blocked the large
area at the premises in which the offices were situated, and
overflowed into Victoria Street.
It was found impossible for the Committee alone to cope
with the work, but many offers of help were forthcoming from
the intending recruits, and in a very short time an efficient staff
was organized. The correspondence alone amounted to several
hundred letters and telegrams daily; but this was all dealt with
promptly, and the office was never closed until every letter
and telegram had been answered. In fact, some nights the
office was not closed at all, and very rarely did every one leave
. before 2 or 8 a.m.; under this stress of work meals were natur-
ally a problem, as for days on end some of the staff found it
impossible to leave the office except for a few short hours in
bed, and their meals consisted principally of sandwiches.
An idea of the dimensions of the movement and of the
sentiments to which it appealed is given in a letter sent by a
member of the Committee to The Devon and Exeter Gazette about
this time -
Old Boys of all our big Public Schools and Universities—
Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Oxford, and Cambridge—all have rolled
up as keen as mustard. We are out to make history. ‘ For
|
|
|
|
UNIVERSITY & PUBLIC
SCHOOLS BRICADE
5000 MEN AT ONCE
The Old Public School and University
Men’s Committee makes an urgent
appeal to their fellow Public School
and University men
to at once enlist in these battalions, thus upholding the
glorious traditions of their Public Schools & Universities.
Age on enlistment 19 to 35, ex-soldiers up to 45, and certain
ex-non-commissioned officers up to 50. Height 5ft. 3in. and upwards.
Chest 34 in. at least. Must be medically fit.
General Service for the War.
Men enlisting for the duration of the War will be discharged
with all convenient speed at the conclusion of the War
PAY AT ARMY RATES.
and all married men or widowers with children will be accepted,
and will draw separation allowance under Army Conditions.
HOW TO JOIN.
Men wishing to join should apply at once, personally,
to the Public Schools & Universities Force, 66, Victoria
Street, Westminster, London, S.W., or the nearest
Recruiting Office of this Force.
GOD SAWE THE KIAIG |!
THE FIRST POSTER.
MAJOR J. W. HENDERSON.
LIEUTENANT S. M. GLUCKSTEIN,
FORMATION OF THE BRIGADE 25
King and Country and School” is our motto. There is no
trace of snobbishness. Every one accepts that he is merely a
“Tommy Atkins’ and is proud to be one. ‘The reason for our
forming battalions of ourselves is esprit de corps. Every man
will remember his old school, and do his utmost to keep it
level with the others in this undertaking. In this I have every
confidence in the Old Boys of all the schools in Devon rolling
up in large numbers.
The work in the office, great as it was, was only a portion
of what had to be done by the Committee. The rush of
recruits passed all expectations, and ways and means had to
be devised for coping with it.
On the first day, Tuesday, September 1, there were over
300 applicants; but it was impossible in such a short time to
arrange for their immediate medical examination and attestation,
and they could only be told to come again on the next day.
Wednesday’s figures constituted a record; over 1,200 men were
medically examined and attested, this latter by amateurs, as
not a single man on the Committee, or amongst its assistants,
had any previous experience of such work. Telephone messages
to doctors in all parts of London met with a prompt and ready
response, and by the afternoon of that day twenty-five medical
men had arrived to give their voluntary assistance. Many doctors
offered part or all of their time voluntarily to the Committee, and
great thanks is due to them for their patriotic work.
Additional premises were lent to the Committee at 64
Victoria Street by Dr. Hele-Shaw and Messrs. Compayne, and
also in Westminster Palace Gardens. The recruits were organized
into parties at the head office, sent for medical examination as
the doctors could deal with them, and then returned to the
head office to be sworn in by Capt. Hallett, N.R.
The next day 700 more were attested, and on Friday the
same steady stream of recruits was flowing in when a blow
fell which at first seemed well-nigh fatal. Orders were received
4,
26 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P‘S.”
from the Chief Recruiting
Officer, Whitehall, that all
attestation must stop forth-
with, as he claimed that no
sanction had been given to
raise the force, and that the
attestation of recruits was
most irregular. Perhaps the
Committee had been in too | °
great ahurry, but surely they \
were right in going ahead
after receiving the message
they did from Lord Kitchener.
Rumours began to spread
that the force was unauthor-
ized, and the attestations
which had been made were
illegal, and indeed many ap-
plications were made asking
the Committee to show their
authority. This, of course,
was impossible, as the au-
thorization had been verbal, and great care and tact had to
be used in dealing with such inquiries. Strong representations
were, however, made in the right quarters, and on Wednesday,
September 9, the Army Council’s authority was received in
proper form. During the intervening days large numbers of
recruits were enrolled, but could not be attested and sworn in.
Great unrest was felt by these men, and the feeling got to such
a pitch that immediate action was necessary. On September 8,
at the usual Committee Meeting, after lengthy discussion it was
unanimously resolved that the only way out of the deadlock
was again to approach Lord Kitchener direct. The following
WHERE’S THAT BLANK CARTRIDGE
[The ** Pow-wow.”
FORMATION OF THE BRIGADE 27
letter was written and signed by every member of the Com-
mittee, and the chairman, Mr. Boon, was deputed to endeavour
to gain an interview with Lord Kitchener at his private house,
the Committee meantime deciding to sit until a definite decision
of some sort was obtained.
September 8, 1914.
The Right Hon. the Earl Kitchener of Khartoum, F.M., K.P.,
Secretary of State for War, War Office, S.W.
My Lorp,
We, the undersigned members of the Committee of the
Old Public Schools and University Men’s Force, wish to call
your Lordship’s urgent attention to a most serious state of
affairs existing at the present moment.
Acting under your Lordship’s direct approbation and with
your cordial sanction, we have worked night and day and have
at the time of writing succeeded in enrolling 4,000 men—the
most splendid material in the eyes of competent observers who
have witnessed their drills and route marches.
At the moment we, the Committee, after many promises,
verbal and written, are unable to get the necessary military
formalities concluded. We appeal to your Lordship to take
this matter in hand yourself immediately, and insist that the
necessary formalities be concluded in order that the men whom
we have enrolled shall be medically examined and attested at
once, thus making them part of the regular army.
We, the Committee, are prepared and are only too willing
to do all in our power to assist the War Office in this matter,
and, further, we have offered to arrange for the organization,
clothing, housing, and feeding the men.
We trust that this urgent appeal made on behalf of 4,000
men, whose only desire is to serve their country, will receive
your earnest personal attention.
We beg to remain,
Your Lordship’s obedient servants,
After about one hour of waiting, Mr. Boon returned and
reported that, although Lord Kitchener was tired out, Sir George
28 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
Arthur had again befriended the Brigade by taking the letter
to him, and his answer was that the matter should have his
first attention the next morning. On September 9, as stated
above, the authority to carry on with attestations was received
in proper form.
During the intervening days large numbers of recruits had
been enrolled, and these men were now called up for attestation
by postcard, and telegrams were sent to all recruiting officers,
notifying them of the sanction received to carry on again. On
September 10 the rush was so great that Dr. Hele-Shaw
arranged to get the loan of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers
so as to ease the congestion. This fine building was placed at
the disposal of the Committee, and the medical examination and
attestation were thus carried on in greater comfort.
It was necessary at once to deal with this large body of eager
recruits, and it was hastily decided that drilling should immediately
commence in Hyde Park. Onlookers in Victoria Street, amount-
ing almost to a crowd itself, were amazed to see that, at the
word of command given by selected members of the Committee,
who knew their drill, the new recruits fell into line and formed
fours, and were marched off. The astonishment would, perhaps,
have been less if the public had realized that this fine body
of youth was so largely composed of members of the Officers’
Training Corps of various Public Schools.
In London parades were held every day in Hyde Park
under Mr. Westwood-Henderson and Mr. Warner-Abbatt. The
following account of the first parade is taken from The Morning
Post of September 8, 1915:
There was the unmistakable right ring in the cheers at the
first parade of the Old Public School and University Men’s
Force at the Central Hall, Westminster, yesterday morning.
The cheers were given for various people and resolutions, but
the loudest and the steadiest were kept for this message to all
FORMATION OF THE BRIGADE 29
recruits in Lord Kitchener’s New Army: ‘ We are getting ready
as quickly as we can, and we hope to join you in the battle
line as soon as _ possible.”
Over 2,000 mustered at this first parade. They comprised,
generally speaking, the London Contingent. Members enrolled
in the country had not yet been called up. ... And an aston-
ishly fine, well-set-up force they are too, if yesterday’s muster
is typical. Mostly above the average height, and all supple,
athletic fellows of manifest strong lung capacity, they made a
capital impression... .
The following orders were issued by the Committee on
September 9:
Two parades were held to-day: the first, at 10.30 for
Company Drill, the second at 2.30 for route-march. The turn-
out to both parades was excellent.
Various comments were made by on-lookers—many of whom
held high military rank—expressing surprise at the soldierly
appearance, splendid marching, and general physique of the men,
considering that they have only been enrolled during the last
week.
The Committee expect to receive immediately full instruc-
tions from the War Office, which will enable them to complete
at once all the arrangements for clothing, housing, feeding, and
training the whole force. Immediately such instructions are
received notices will be sent out to any man who has up to
the present only been enrolled, where and when to attend for
medical examination and attestation.
The Committee point out that nearly five battalions have
been raised in a little over a week. This has entailed an
enormous amount of correspondence, which is being dealt with
by an entirely voluntary staff, who are working night and day.
They would, therefore, request that all members of the above
force should assist them as much as possible by waiting for
instructions, which will be issued at a very early date.
The orders for to-day are: Battalions will fall in opposite
Knightsbridge Barracks, in Hyde Park, to-day, Thursday, at
10.30 a.m.
It was a fine sight to see the whole of the London con-
30 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
tingent on a route-march through London. On one occasion
the line reached the length of Whitehall, and some distinguished
officers at the War Office were observed to be very much im-
pressed by the men’s soldierly bearing.
Some distinguishing mark was desirable for the recruits, so
the Committee adopted a design in the form of a cardboard
disc printed with the letters U.P.S. in the form of a monogram.
This dise was worn in the button-hole attached by a red cord.
It soon became apparent that it would be impossible for
the men to parade anywhere in the neighbourhood of Victoria
Street, so the place of rendezvous was changed, as mentioned
above, to Hyde Park at the open space between the Gates and
the Statue of Achilles. But the number of men was so great that
the traffic was entirely blocked, and an arrangement was made
with the police by which the open space in Hyde Park, adjacent
to the Knightsbridge Barracks, was definitely granted to the
Brigade as a parade-ground.
In the provinces regular parades were also held. The out-
standing incident of these early days of training was when
Major-General Sir Francis Lloyd inspected the London Contin-
gent, numbering over 2,000, in Hyde Park. The news was only
received the night before, and the turn-out showed the keenness
of the men, as no special whip could be issued to ensure success.
The praise Major-General Sir Francis Lloyd gave was expressed
by the words, “The finest body of men I have ever seen.”
The advice which he gave was summed up in three words,
‘“‘ Discipline, discipline, discipline.” Two thousand men had been
brought together for the first time during the previous nine
days, and had been already organized into companies and were
training under men who held no commissions, but who neverthe-
less had absolute command.
One of these parades was thus described by a writer in The
Richmond Times:
FORMATION OF THE BRIGADE 31
... When I arrived opposite the Knightsbridge Cavalry
Barracks, my footsteps were arrested by the sight of hundreds
of young men in civilian attire drawn up in military formation.
Kach man wore a little white badge, with the letters U.P.S. on
it. This, on inquiry, stood ... for University and Public
Schools Force. There were twelve companies of them, and in
my own mind I anticipated the remark of Major-General Sir
Francis Lloyd (to be uttered on the following day): ‘I have
never seen a more magnificent body of men in my life.”
There they were, nearly 2,000 of them. Many of them
over 6 feet in height, and all of them born athletes, men whom
you could fancy in representative football or cricket teams, or
making records on the running track, or contending in classic
races on the water. Each of them, too, with a look of set
determination on his face, denoting most unmistakably that
whatever it was they were going in for, they were going in for
it with the fixed intention of bringing it off. And when I
reflect that these ‘“‘ degenerates’? and ‘‘ decadents”’ of Britain
and the Empire are coming in in their tens of thousands, I
hope that Germany will understand that England is getting
ready to be crushed on a scale which she has not hitherto
attempted.
On September 10 the late Field-Marshal Earl Roberts
honoured the force by visiting their headquarters in Victoria
Street. He spent about twenty minutes in the office, talking
to the chairman and the secretary, and was so interested in
what he heard and saw that he promised to go straight to the
War Office and see what was being or could be done to provide
the Brigade Staff and Commanding Officers. He also said that
he would like to attend a parade of the London Battalions in
Hyde Park on the following Monday, but was unfortunately
prevented from doing so.
On Thursday and Friday the work of attestation continued,
but on Saturday, September 12, it was found that, together
with the returns received from the recruiting officers in the
provinces, the total number recruited exceeded 5,000. Thus in
32 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
eleven days the total number aimed at by the Committee was
reached. Attestations, therefore, were stopped, as the Army
Council’s authority was only for that number. As, however,
applicants still called in good numbers, it was deemed advisable
to create a waiting list. The numbers entered in this list in
a few days reached between two and three hundred.
The public can hardly realize the amount of work
that such an undertaking entailed. To take one example
alone, preparing and sorting out the attestation forms neces-
sitated further accommodation in order to deal with the vast
number of these forms and to comply with the War Office
regulations.
Five thousand attestation forms to be duplicated, and a
like quantity of pay-sheets and medical history forms to be
filled in in detail, and the knowledge that the welfare of 5,000
men depended on their accurate completion, this was enough to
make the hardest worker pause. Mr. S. M. Gluckstein came to the
rescue at this critical moment, and placed the Empire Room
at the Trocadero at the Committee’s disposal. Here the work
was commenced by some fifty men under the charge of Mr.
Lawrence Jones, who had volunteered to take this work in
hand. Owing to the fact that the Trocadero came under the
Licensing Act, the management would not permit work to
continue after 11 o’clock at night. Undaunted by this new
difficulty, Captain Hallett obtained permission from the War
Office for the work to be carried on throughout the night.
The men worked fourteen to fifteen hours a day, and sometimes
the night through; the task was eventually completed, and the
whole double-indexed on the card system and filed away under
lock and key. Much praise is due to the voluntary staff,
to Captain Hallett, who, inter alia, must have attached his signa-
ture fully 50,000 times to the various forms, and also to the
management and staff of the Trocadero, who from page-boy to
[@€
“HeDTV]
‘MUVd AGAH NI ‘S'd‘n AHL ONIMAIADY CGAOTT SIONVYA HIS TVYHNH9-HOrVIN
-wosds, ‘pleyore Al lee
‘dNVO NI AVG ATHVA NV
FORMATION OF THE BRIGADE 33
messengers did everything in their power to facilitate the work.
Some idea of its magnitude will be gained by the fact that
over 25,000 forms were filled in and dealt with, and 10,000
index-cards completed and filed, over 15 cwt. of paper being
used.
THE U.P.S. BADGE.
CHAPTER II
WORK AT THE RECRUITING CENTRES : THE MOBILIZATION
We have seen how the University and Public Schools Brigade
came to be formed, and have witnessed the remarkable answer
made by the whole country to the call of the Committee.
We must now endeavour to place on record the individual work
of the provincial recruiting officers. Should any detailed men-
tion of the work accomplished by any of the recruiting officers
be omitted in what follows, it is unfortunately due to the fact
that information is missing.
Manchester (Mr. L. J. Paton, Head Master, the Grammar
School).—Mention must first be made of the splendid response
made by the city of Manchester as a whole. A very large
percentage of the recruits enlisted for the Public School Brigade
formed the 20th Battalion Royal Fusiliers. On September 1,
1914, the Lord Mayor (Sir Daniel McCabe) sent for Mr. Paton
and placed before him a letter he had received from the U.P.S.
Headquarters, informing him of the formation of the Public
School Battalions, and requesting him to see what steps could
be taken to get recruits in Manchester. Mr. Paton at once
interviewed some of his old Grammar-school boys at Manchester
University who were keen on the O.T.C. Foremost among these
was Captain J. F. H. Templar, a former Sergeant of the School
contingent. A letter was at once inserted in the newspapers
calling a meeting of Public School boys at the University. This
meeting was held on September 8. About 150 men attended.
34
WORK AT THE RECRUITING CENTRES 35
Gx
eh
AVE ATQUE VALE. is aaah ea
Captain Lapage, who was in command of the O.T.C. in the
absence of Sir Thomas Holland and Captain C. Potts, commanding
officer of the Manchester Grammar School, Lieut. E. Moore
Mumford (now Captain) and the High Master of the Grammar
School were present. The scheme of the U.P.S. Brigade was
laid before the meeting, by which it was heartily received, and
a recruiting station was at once opened at the School, the School
O.T.C. officers being placed in charge by the recruiting staff
officer for Manchester. It happened that at this time the Law
Students, the Chartered Accountants, and Incorporated Ac-
36 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
countants and the Architects were holding meetings to decide
what action they should take in the national emergency. The
scheme of the U.P.S. Brigade was placed before them, with the
result that they decided as a body to throw in their lot with
the Public School boys. Any amount of volunteer work was
forthcoming. Everybody was roped in—chaplains, doctors, magis-
trates, clerks, scouts; all were put to work; 1,023 men in all
were enlisted in the course of eight working days—surely a
magnificent achievement. Then a wire from headquarters stopped
further’ proceedings. The men were so full of enthusiasm that
they started drilling at once, at first on Chetham’s ground,
alongside the School, and later, since that proved too small, by
kind permission of the Parks Committee, on Plates Fields.
A draft of 300 left at 1 a.m. on Thursday morning, Sep-
tember 17, under the command of Lieut. E. Moore Mumford.
They were met at Euston, and marched through to Victoria
Station, where they found breakfast awaiting them. The main
body left Manchester on ‘Thursday, September 24. These
mustered on the Piccadilly flags and were addressed by the
Lord Mayor, who accompanied them in his carriage to Mayfield
Station, where they entrained for Leatherhead by special train.
Worcester.—Lieut.-Colonel J. Livingstone Wood was _ instru-
mental in obtaining about 120 recruits. A great many of these
were from Worcester Cathedral King’s School and the Worcester
Royal Grammar School; several others came from Bromsgrove
and other parts of the county of Worcester. Lieut.-Colonel
L. Wood’s son also joined the U.P.S.
Cheltenham (Colonel V. D. Griffiths, V.D.).—This town being
a great educational centre, Colonel Griffiths at once got to work.
The Public Schools in the neighbourhood are Cheltenham College,
St. Paul’s Training College, and the Grammar School. Applica-
tions numbered 101, but fourteen of the men were found to be
medically unfit. Many Public School men at Cheltenham were
WORK AT THE RECRUITING CENTRES 37
also recruited by Colonel Griffiths for the Inns of Court, Artists’
Rifles, O.T.C., as well as for the Territorial Battalion of the
Gloucester Regiment.
Cardiff (Captain A. A. Read).—A recruiting office was opened
at the college buildings; members of the college staff under-
took the clerical work, and several doctors examined the recruits
free of cost. The number enlisted here was 250, about one
half of whom were past and present students of the University
College of South Wales and Monmouthshire, and the remainder
men of nearly every Public School and University who were
at that time living in South Wales.
Derby (Mr. A. R. Flint).—At the outset Mr. Flint recruited
146 men, who all joined the 21st Battalion. A great number
of them had considerable preliminary training whilst awaiting
instructions from headquarters. As soon as these were received,
a very successful farewell dinner was held. On the day of
departure the recruits marched to the town, and were given a
very enthusiastic send-off. No record was kept of the number
of men sent direct to Epsom since that departure, as no attesta-
tion was effected in Derby for the Brigade, Mr. Flint satisfying
himself that the applicants were suitable recruits and giving
them a letter of authorization for the purpose of getting attested
at the nearest depot. It is estimated that 150 men were so
dealt with, making the total recruited from Derby and_ the
neighbourhood fully 300. This must be considered an excellent
achievement.
Chelmsford (Mr. A. S. Elford).—Mr. Elford was obliged to
rely on advertisements which he placed in the local papers for
obtaining recruits. A great number of men he saw personally,
and these he persuaded to join, sending them to London for
attestation. Mr. Kelland helped Mr. Elford, and the total
number of recruits obtained was about 100. The men came
from every part of Essex, some from Suffolk, and one or two
38 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
from Cambridgeshire. Mr. Elford was asked to nominate four
officers for new field-artillery batteries. He approached several
of the recruits whom he had obtained for the Brigade, but
without success, as they all replied that they were too happy
and contented where they were to leave.
Plymouth (Mr. E. Elliot Square)—When it became known
in the West of England that a force was to be raised of men
who had been at a Public School or University, a very con-
siderable body of men endeavoured to avail themselves of the
opportunity which was given to them of serving in such a
force. A very large proportion of such men in the West of
England were already serving in the Navy or Army, as the two
principal schools in the neighbourhood of Plymouth, the Ply-
mouth and Mannamead College and the Kelly College, Tavistock,
had for many years trained their boys in a very efficient train-
ing corps attached to the colleges. Kelly College was founded
by the late Admiral Kelly with the object of giving education
principally to boys desirous of entering the services, and natur-
ally the greater proportion of the old boys was serving when
war broke out, whilst Plymouth College also had a very sub-
stantial proportion of its old boys in the forces. Inquiries
from recruits were received from as far west as Penzance, and
about eighty men were enrolled and awaited the War Office
sanction before attesting. In addition to them a considerable
number from Plymouth and neighbourhood enrolled at the
Exeter recruiting office, and also at Headquarters in London.
Mention must be made of the late Major F. T. C. Hill, the local
recruiting officer, who gave every assistance, and set aside a
portion of the recruiting office at Plymouth for the use of those
desiring to become members of the Brigade. Men enlisted from
Provost Truro Mining College Institution, Camborne, and from
The Hoe Grammar School, Plymouth. It was not necessary to
do much propaganda work to induce recruits to come forward,
WORK AT THE RECRUITING CENTRES 39
as directly the fact of the raising of the force was known, all
men who were then on the waiting list for commissions at the
War Office readily rushed to join the Corps.
Monmouth (Dr. S. Davis Taylor)—Altogether Dr. Davis
Taylor recruited about eighty men. Some of these, however,
joined other corps such as the Royal Naval Division, and the
local Territorials.
Bedford (Major J. E. Wilkinson).—About eighty-five men
were attested. At the outbreak of war Major Wilkinson was
Assistant Secretary to the National Service League. The
League’s activities were suspended, and the office opened for
the attestation of recruits for the Public Schools Brigade.
Harrogate (Mr. Cecil Hawkins)—The Mayor of Harrogate
asked Mr. Hawkins to take the post of recruiting officer for the
Brigade. This he willingly consented to do. A _ short letter
was published by him in the local papers welcoming recruits at
the office of the Defence League, Harrogate. The response was
immediate and gratifying, men turning up from a radius of forty
to sixty miles, many of them on motor-cycles. Voluntary
workers already organized at the Defence League helped, and
much valuable assistance was received from the local recruiting
officer, the late Major Lindberg, who took a great interest in the
movement, and was proud to swear in so fine a body of men.
About 110 men in all were recruited.
Durham (the Reverend R. D. Badworth, Head Master,
Durham School)——Mr. Badworth was asked to take on the
duties of recruiting officer for the Northern District Durham
Centre for the U.P.S. Brigade on September 1. His duties
finished on September 23. The number of recruits obtained was
just over 150, mainly belonging to northern schools. Most
schools of importance had, however, at least one representative
—many were induced to enlist by a notice which appeared in
the local papers. The work was much more laborious than it
40 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
need have been for the recruits and Mr. Badworth, owing to
conflicting orders with regard to medical examination and
attestation, nearly all recruits having to pay at least two visits.
This hit some men very hard, as they came from considerable
distances. The causes of these conflicting orders received from
headquarters will be understood from what has been written
above.
Brighton (Captain A. H. Belcher, Brighton College).—Captain
Belcher sent in approximately 80 to 100 recruits. The method
he adopted was to advertise in the local papers, and also to
circularize all ex-members of the contingent of the Officers’
Training Corps whom he could trace in that district from the
official lists published by the War Office. Practically all the
recruits he sent in—at any rate in the first batch—had previously
been members of some contingent of the O.T.C.
Belfast (Captain R. Stanley, R.E.).—When war broke out
Captain Stanley was an officer in the Queen’s University,
and a request was received to help in the recruiting for the
U.P.S. Brigade. He secured fifty-one recruits, when recruiting
was stopped, and the men were sent to Epsom as a Platoon.
Birmingham (Colonel W. L. Ludlow, C.B.).—No details have
been received, except that approximately 120 men were enlisted
for the Brigade at the Town Hall.
Eastbourne (Mr. W. N. Willis).—Mr. Willis was in charge
of the recruiting office in Terminus Road under the direction
of Captain Orgale, the head recruiting officer, and obtained
sanction to use his office as a district recruiting office for the
U.P.S. Fifty-three men were enrolled by him, and many more
went direct to London to enlist after receiving sanction from
Mr. Willis.
Eweter (Mr. H. H. Drew).—Mr. Drew began recruiting on
September 2, 1914, and was finally ordered to stop by the chief
recruiting officer in Exeter on February 7, 1915, as a result of
[Wakefield, Epsom,
BOUNDS.
A QUIET MOMENT, OUT OF
40]
‘jerouey pue jzodg]
3+b847
“PI6L
TVAUANG
z a
‘8 HoHAaWNaLdHs
‘WOSda WOT AUOLUVddd AHL
[i
WORK AT THE RECRUITING CENTRES 41
an order from the G.O.C. Southern Command. During this
period he enrolled 157 men, of whom fifty-two came from the
chief western schools, such as Allhallows (Honiton), Blundell’s,
Clifton, Exeter, Kelly, Newton, and Sherborne. Other schools
contributing were Bradfield, Cheltenham, Charterhouse, Harrow,
Haileybury, Malvern, Rossall, Tonbridge, Westminster, Fettes,
and Glenalmond. Mr. Drew received great assistance from
retired Fleet-Surgeon H. W. B. Walsh (the Naval Medical
Examining Officer in Exeter), who medically examined all the
Exeter recruits gratuitously. Altogether about 200 recruits were
obtained by Mr. Drew, one of whom, G. R. D. Moor, has won
the V.C., and one or two others the Military Cross.
Portsmouth (Mr. Ernest Hall).—At the time when Mr. Hall
was requested to act as recruiting officer for the Brigade, he
was honorary secretary and recruiting officer to the Portsmouth
Battalion, which was being raised by the Mayor. This neces-
sarily prevented him from devoting much time to the U.P.S.,
but he was able to send between twenty and thirty men to
Epsom.
Bristol (Mr. W. S. Paul).—Between thirty and forty recruits
were received by Mr. Paul, of whom a good number were old
boys of Clifton College.
Salisbury (Mr. W. W. Osmond).—At the urgent request of
the Mayor of Salisbury (Mr. James Macklin), Mr. Osmond
consented to act as honorary recruiting officer for the U.P.S.
A short article in the two local newspapers at once attracted
attention. Within forty-eight hours numerous calls were made,
and inquiries by letter and telegram received from men residing
in Salisbury, Bournemouth, Winchester, Dorchester, Swindon,
Chippenham, Andover, Tidworth camps and _ farther afield.
Many applicants who were over age were much disappointed in
not being accepted, as they were under the impression that
applicants for this Brigade would not be tied down to strict
6
42 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
nb) Tver — ay
bal
uN
ii
fart
— —————
= oe _
Sa
TRAIL,
[The “ Pow-wow.”
“THIS IS THE HAPPY WARRIOR—THIS IS HE!!”—Wordsworth.
age limits (how many were really over age but gave a wrong
year of birth may not be mentioned). Between twenty and
thirty men were enlisted, and doubtless many more preferred
to go straight to London and attest at Victoria Street.
King’s Lynn (Mr. C. R. Leak)—Mr. Leak was asked by
Mr. R. O. Ridley, Mayor of King’s Lynn, to undertake the
recruiting for the Brigade. The district was a bad one in which
to expect to get many men. Mr. Leak advertised in all the
local papers within a radius of fifty miles, and, unfortunately for
him, came into conflict with other people who were also recruit-
ing for the same force. This trouble, however, was soon
WORK AT THE RECRUITING CENTRES 43
solved by making the advertisement record that Mr. Leak was
recruiting men for the same object. About thirty men were
enlisted. Mr. Leak found that most of the eligible men had
already joined the Territorials or other Corps formed in the
district.
Guildford (Lieut.-Colonel W. H. Sykes, late Royal Enginee’s).
—Colonel Sykes worked for the Brigade in face of great diffi-
culties. He met with opposition from the War Office recruiting
officer, and had no assistance from the Town Recruiting Com-
mittee. In spite of these drawbacks, an office was established
and opened on September 7, 1914. Mr. H. Clayton Manisty
rendered great assistance, as also Mr. Noel Ashley. Recruits
came in before the office was opened, and these were sent off
to London headquarters. In all about forty recruits passed
through Colonel Sykes’s hands, some of whom, however, pre-
ferred to join the Sportsman’s Battalion or the P.S. Special
Corps. Many others, after gaining particulars, attested in London.
On all points Guildford proved very useful, especially after good
relations were established with the official recruiting officer.
Worthing.—Mr. W. E. Bennett was able to recruit twenty-
two men for the Brigade.
Buzxton.—Mr. A. Brown was able to send about fifteen men,
some of whom came from very long distances to enlist.
Carmarthen.-Mr. W. Sparrell worked very hard to get
recruits, but the field was small. Many men journeyed to
London to attest, and seven were attested by Mr. Sparrell.
Horsham.—Captain Williams (Chief Constable) was able to
secure between ten and twenty recruits.
Bournemouth.—Colonel Sir William Watts was able directly
and indirectly to send a good number of recruits to London for
attestation.
Aberystwyth.—Captain J. W. Marshall (Captain University
College of Wales O.T.C.) was handicapped in recruiting for the
4A, THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
Brigade, as most of the men in his district were joining a
similar contingent attached to the Welsh Army Corps, viz. : the
13th Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He was, however, able to send a
few men.
One of the chief difficulties which the War Office foresaw
was finding officers for such a Brigade, but the Committee
undertook to find all officers up to and including, if necessary,
the rank of Major, from their own ranks. They were instructed
to prepare a list of such men as they considered suitable candi-
dates. This could not be completed until after the Brigade had
been mobilized, but eventually, with very few exceptions, every
officer in the Brigade, excepting the Brigade Staff and Battalion
Commanders, was selected by the Committee from men who had
enlisted as privates, or who, though not actually enlisted, had
been on the Committee, or had assisted them in raising the
force. The Committee’s recommendations as to rank were accepted
by the War Office en bloc.
Critics might ask why this unheard-of procedure was
adopted. In reply, it might be asked where was the War Office
to find the men to officer such a Brigade? Surely from its
own ranks. Now, the Army Council, in giving authority for the
raising of the Brigade, had stipulated that the promoters should
make all the necessary arrangements for clothing, feeding, equip-
ping, and housing.
When the Committee was first formed they undertook to
recruit the force, but they had not anticipated the responsibility
now thrown on them. Naturally many of the members were
not prepared to undertake it, chiefly because they were them-
selves eligible to join the force. There was also the prospect
of financial liability. It was, therefore, decided to make the
necessary arrangements for the Brigade to be mobilized immedi-
ately, and to endeavour to form another Committee of older and
more influential men to carry out the prospective large business
THE MOBILIZATION 45
arrangements to conform with the requirements of the Army
Council.
The Hon. Arthur Stanley, C.B., M.V.O., M.P., was persuaded
to become chairman of this new Committee, and the Brigade owes
him a debt of gratitude for all he has done for it, notwith-
standing his heavy duties as chairman of the British Red Cross
Society. He immediately set to work to help in forming the
second Committee. Messrs. Gordon Selfridge, S. M. Gluckstein,
and H. J. Boon were asked to join, and Mr. Howell was invited
to be secretary. All accepted, and at the beginning of October
Mr. Stanley was fortunate in persuading Lord Lurgan, K.C.V.O.,
to become vice-chairman. Here again the Brigade must con-
gratulate itself on having secured such valuable services, as Lord
Lurgan devoted his time to their welfare, and was able by his
great tact and ability to promote the best of feelings between
the Brigade staff and O.C.’s of Battalions and the Committee.
Messrs. Gordon Selfridge and S. M. Gluckstein resigned after a short
time. Mr. Julian Orde, at Mr. Stanley’s request, then joined the
Committee.
It is well for all the members of the Brigade who read
these lines to cast their minds back to the last three months
of the year 1914. They had joined up, and were training at
Epsom, and were impatiently awaiting uniforms, equipment, and
so forth, which seemed to them at that time would never
arrive. On the other hand, the Committee had to provide these
articles; in other words, they had to purchase in markets
already overburdened with orders from the Government, and the
wonder is how these articles were provided as soon as they were.
In this heavy and responsible work the kind and _ ever-ready
help and advice of Mr. Stanley and Lord Lurgan were always
available, and proved invaluable. The Woodcote Park Com-
mittee generously agreed to lend, free of cost, to the Brigade a
portion of their estate at Woodcote Park, Epsom, for the
46 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
purpose of building a camp there. As it was not possible to
erect the hutments in a week or so, it was proposed to the
War Office that the Brigade should be billeted in Epsom, Ewell,
Ashtead, and Leatherhead. This was agreed to, and mobiliza-
tion was decided on at once. Perhaps this was the largest piece
of work undertaken by the original Committee. The only
assistance the War Office would give was to promise that, on
receipt of the numbers and date of departure, special trains
would be provided. All arrangements had to be completed by
the Committee.
The details of organization entailed considerable discussion
and thought, and it was finally decided to mobilize on two
dates, Friday, September 18, for men living in London and
within easy train journey, and for a first contingent of from 200
to 300 from Manchester, and Thursday, September 24, for men
enlisted in the provinces. Notices were sent to every man by
post, telling him what to bring with him, the date, time, and
place of mobilization, and also a label bearing a letter and
number to be attached to his bag. The time decided on was
12 noon, and the place Hyde Park, opposite Knightsbridge Barracks.
On the parade ground stakes were placed at intervals, each
bearing a letter and number corresponding to those on the
labels which had been issued to the recruits. Each man, as
he arrived on the ground, deposited his bag at its corresponding
letter and number on the stake, and then fell in on a marker
bearing the same label. As a fixed number of labels with each
letter had been issued, the whole of the contingent was in this
way soon paraded in approximately equal companies. Roll-calls
had been prepared previously to correspond, and the roll was
called. Absentees were thus easily checked; the number was
remarkably small. Motor-buses labelled with the same letters
were lined up, and the correspondingly lettered bags were loaded
up inside and on top. Thus the column started for Epsom.
THE MOBILIZATION AT
From this account it may appear that the mobilization was
a very simple matter, and so it would have been but for the
crowd. The excitement of those early days must be remem-
bered, also the fact that for ten days or more these men had
been parading in Hyde Park and route-marching through
London daily, and had caused no small stir. The orders for
mobilization had been published in the Press, and, what with
parents and relatives, onlookers and sightseers, it became almost
impossible to parade the men. But, by dint of hard work and
hearty co-operation on the part of the police, this was accom-
plished at last, and they marched off amid the ringing cheers
of the crowd.
The second portion was mobilized in much the same way,
but more expeditiously, as the first attempt had taught its
lessons. In many ways, however, the second mobilization was
more difficult, as the men came from all parts of the British
Isles, and were strangers to their bodies and to each other.
This detachment proceeded to Ashtead and formed later the
21st Battalion.
The last detachment, composed of the balance of the Man-
chester Contingent, went straight through by special train from
Manchester to Leatherhead, where they arrived the same evening.
The account of the arrival and billeting of the men in
Epsom, Ashtead, and Leatherhead, and of the training there,
is given in the following chapter.
CHAPTER III
EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD
In Epsom the 18th, 19th, and 50 per cent. of the 20th Batta-
lions were billeted. Ashtead was the home of the 21st Battalion
and Leatherhead of the remaining 50 per cent. of the 20th
Battalion. As stated in the previous chapter, Epsom was “ in-
vaded’’ on September 18, 1914.
An interesting account of this “invasion” appeared in The
Epsom Herald. It is reproduced here by kind permission of the
Editor :
¢
Epsom was invaded on Friday, but not by the Germans.
Through its streets there was the march of many men, but they
were the sons of the British Empire. And though none of the
83,250 carried a rifle, and few were in khaki, they all hope to
be across the water and face to face with the German _ hosts
in unusually quick time. For they are very keen to be in the
fighting line, are those who are members of the recently formed
Old Public School and University Men’s Force, a Brigade con-
sisting of some of the very flower of the young manhood of the
nation—fellows who bear with them the stamp of a vigorous,
healthy, athletic life spent in the playing-fields of England, and
on its rivers. .. . Epsom had its first sight of these about four
o'clock on Friday afternoon, and from then until sleep drew
the curtain down the inhabitants had plenty to see and talk
about. The men arrived at the Downs Station in special
trains, and they marched via College Road and Alexandra
Road to the wide part of the High Street. Train after train
landed them at the foot of the Downs, and in all about 3,200
arrived on Friday. The special constables of Epsom, who had
48
4
|
|
1914.
Wakefield, Epsom.
EPSOM HIGH STREET, SEPTEMBER 19,
EVES s se ON
48)
"6h
suosdsy ‘ppuoye rl
“ONTLHAN ONTHdS AWIE-UVM V
sda AHL AIHM GOVId MOOL HoVua AHL
WOsdat l7,V freed “s
EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD 49
[The ‘* Pow-wow.”
ON GUARD.
been mobilized for the purpose, acted as guides, and led the
various contingents safely to the heart of Epsom’s famous little
town. . . . And when all the component parts of the invading
army had assembled in the centre of the place, what a sight
the old High Street presented! It has witnessed many an
animated picture from the days when Nell Gwynne and all the
fashionables paraded up and down, and frivolity reigned supreme,
but it opened its eyes at something new and strange on Friday.
_. .. Its curiosity was first stirred up by seeing ten London motor
omnibuses arrive, packed not with the usual human freight, but
with soldiers’ kit-bags (all very new), and Gladstone bags and
dressing-cases of varying age and size. ‘They were placed on
the road, and, as in all they numbered more than 3,000, the
7
50 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
spectacle was a remarkable one, not only for the ghosts of
Epsom, who were provided with quite a new experience, but for
the inhabitants, who had never imagined they would see the
High Street carpeted in such a manner. And still the wonder
grew as there came marching into the street companies and
companies of men... . It may be that all the members of the
Old Public School and University Men’s Force are nineteen
years old, but, if so, several of them are extraordinarily young-
looking for their age. Some, when getting sworn in, may
have forgotten the year of their nativity. If so, we are sure
the good angels who desire to see the righteous cause of the
Allies triumph turned a blind eye to any little defect of
memory. ...
For the purposes of billeting the town had been divided
into districts, the A (alphabetical) Company being marched to
the A District, the B Company to the B District, and so on.
The men were then, in the order in which they stood in a
street, billeted in the houses in the order in which these came.
... At the same time as the occupants of the houses were
speculating as to what kind of visitors they would have allocated
to them, the mental thoughts of the visitors were at work
speculating upon what kind of “digs”? they would get, and
probably never before in their lives did they so intently gaze
upon the dwellings of men and women with a view to gaining
some idea of the conditions within. ...It was late in the
evening before all the men got billeted. Not all were sent to
the houses, for about sixty were billeted at the Public Hall and
a number at the Co-operative Hall. A great many of the men
—some of whom had come from Manchester—were able to sit
down at 7 or 8 o’clock to the first meal they had had since
the early hours of the day.
To the householders, police, and special constables of Epsom
the deep thanks of the U.P.S. are due. They greatly appre-
ciated all that these different people did to make them comfortable
and welcome, notwithstanding the very short notice, with its
consequent upsetting of domestic arrangements.
On Saturday morning the men paraded in the High Street,
afterwards marching to Woodcote Park, the site of their new
EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD 51
homes. There the work of forming the Battalions commenced.
It was also decided, as soon as convenient, to rebillet the men
according to Battalions. This was carried out during the week-
end.
The Brigade Office was situated in Waterloo House, that
old historic building to which in the days gone by the gay no-
bility came, ostensibly for the purpose of drinking Epsom’s noted
waters, but in reality to participate in the revelry, gambling,
dancing, and cock-fighting which prevailed both day and night.
Opposite Waterloo House is the dilapidated Tun Beer-house.
This building was commandeered and sufficiently restored internally
to make a serviceable Brigade Post Office.
The men were very happy in Epsom, and the kindness and
hospitality of the inhabitants of Epsom, Ashtead, and Leather-
head were and are still much appreciated. The various societies
and clubs kindly placed their rooms at the disposal of the
members of the Brigade, and many happy hours were passed in
these places. Often have members of the U.P.S., when on short
leave from the front, managed to spare a few hours in order to
visit their old billets and friends.
About this time differences arose between the nominal
officers in charge of the Brigade and the Committee, with the
result that the whole Committee was summoned to appear at
the War Office on Sunday, September 20, at 3 p.m. At this
meeting the position of affairs was reviewed and discussed. As
a result Colonel R. Gordon Gilmour, C.B., C.V.O., D.S.O.,
Grenadier Guards, was appointed Brigadier, and a promise was
given that as soon as possible commanding officers for the
Battalion would be appointed.
On Thursday, September 24, the remaining 2,000 men
arrived at Ashtead and Leatherhead, the same plan of organisa-
tion being adopted as in the case of the first party.
A sketch of conditions in Ashtead and Leatherhead appeared
52 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
in The Standard of October 1, 1914, from which we make the
following extracts:
Ashtead is one of the most picturesque of Surrey’s many
pretty villages. The shopping centre is about a mile away
from the station, the road leading thereto being lined on either
side by large villa residences, standing in their own grounds
and well back from the roadway. As a matter of fact, about
80 per cent. of the houses in Ashtead are occupied by London
business men and well-to-do tradesmen, and it will be easily
realised that the young public school men when they reached
the village a week ago found that they had fallen into extremely
comfortable billeting arrangements. The residents gave them a
cordial welcome, and as a result their hard work in the field
has been very largely compensated by the generous hospitality
of their enforced hosts.
The men stationed at Ashtead are from public schools in
the Midland provinces, with a sprinkling of men wearing the
blue-grey uniform of the Cambridge University O.T.C. There is
also a sprinkling of men from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
At Leatherhead the accommodation of the contingent
stationed there is said to be admirable, and the men say that
they are being most hospitably treated. They are billeted in
the larger houses, and the motherly housewives cannot do too
much to make as comfortable as possible the lads who have
wrenched themselves away from their homes to take up service
for their country. 3°):
Leatherhead seems to be drill mad. As soon as one arrives
at the station any time before sunset he hears the eternal
“Left, right! left, right!*? and military orders smartly rapped
out.
Life at Ashtead was described by Private William M. Horne in
a letter to The Whitby Gazette:
. . . Roughly speaking, we commence at seven, and have
section drill or physical drill; breakfast at 8; to resume drill
again at 9.30; dinner at about 12.15, after which we get a
good rest until 2.80, when the whole Battalion “fall in” on
the battalion parade ground—Ashtead Common—for a_route-
EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD 53
march, which lasts nominally until 5 o’clock, though usually it
is a little later, which, considering our object here is to get out
of the chrysalis stage of soldiers into real useful ‘‘ Tommies,”’
does not matter at all, for when we dismiss we are free until
tie next’ morning. . .”.
All the drill is reminiscent of school days and days of the
North-Eastern County Schools Officers’ Training Corps; but then,
at times, we were ready to shirk a little; now, however, there
is an object in view, and we are not drilling for drilling’s sake,
we are drilling to become ready, as soon as possible, to go
where the tactics of the Huns necessitate new forces—going in
order to make England, when peace is sighted, a better and
happier home. The real enjoyment, though, is in the route-
marching. In itself, as something to look at, it is ‘“‘ great”
.. .. We extend, when marching four abreast, over a quarter of
a mile comfortably. When my own Company—Company A—
some 220 of us—marched past the “billet”? last week, it was
thought we were never going to end, but, when there are 1,200
of us marching in companies, and each company about twenty
yards apart, it is easy to imagine we seem a long time in
getting past anywhere. ... It is glorious marching along these
lovely lanes of Surrey, with their lofty trees, and high, over-
hanging hedges off which we manage to gather brambles as
we pass.
The building of the Camp in Woodcote Park was now
commenced, Messrs. Humphreys, Ltd., of Knightsbridge, being
the contractors. The preliminary work was greatly accelerated
by the daily assistance of between 400 and 500 men of the
Brigade, many of whom were skilled in engineering, surveying,
and draughtsmanship. The original plan was to build 100 huts
to accommodate fifty men in each. It was, however, early
realised that a camp more or less according to War Office
plans would be a necessity, and this consideration of course
considerably lengthened the time which it was originally esti-
mated would be taken in completing the building of the camp.
Mr. H. B. Longley, F.S.I., M.S.A., of Epsom, was appointed
54 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
architect to the Committee, and did excellent work, assisted by
Messrs. D. Robinson and Rayner, members of the Brigade.
The task which the Committee had undertaken was indeed a
heavy one. They had to build a camp to accommodate 5,400
men and nearly 200 officers, to equip the camp, to arrange
for an efficient water and drainage system, to install an electric
light system, and to make the necessary roads. In addition to
this, as related in the previous chapter, all the men’s clothing
and equipment had to be provided by the Committee by private
purchase, and, further, most of the articles had first to be
approved by the Ordnance and Clothing Departments. To add
to the Committee’s worries, delay in the building of the camp
occurred owing to the atrocious weather conditions and inade-
quate transport facilities prevailing.
The War Office was inundated during all this time with
inquiries from’ all quarters. The Committee realized that undue
reference to the authorities for information and for authority
for one thing or another would seriously delay matters in the
then congested state of the War Office, and they decided there-
fore to go their own way, and the result proved this to be the
wisest. course.
In the meantime the Brigade was in hard training although
still in mufti. To distinguish officers and N.C.O.s, the former
wore on the lapel of their coats red ribbon and the latter white.
The Epsom Herald gives a good idea of their appearance
and training about this! time:
During the week the inhabitants have had more and more
confirmed their first impression that the 3,300 soldiers-in-the-
making stationed at Epsom are as fine a body of men as the
country could produce. Their average height is remarkably good,
and splendid are the general physical proportions of the great
majority of the men. Many of them are wide in the shoulder
and deep in the chest, and full of the muscle that has been
EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD 55
developed by hard exercise and the keen pursuit of manly
games ... and as soon as one sees them swinging through the
streets of Epsom with an ease of bearing and an upright carriage
that betokens perfect physical fitness, there comes the certain
conviction that in a few weeks’ time the members of the Old
Public Schools and University Force will be a magnificent body
of soldiers, Allied to their physical endowments are other assets.
These men who have had such good facilities for the develop-
ment of the powers of the intellect as well as of the body,
are in the drilling ground showing a rapidity in absorbing what
is imparted to them by instructors that far exceeds the speed
in learning attained in the drill-ground as a rule. ... And the
people of Epsom have taken to them because of the con-
Scientious, quiet manner in which they apply themselves to their
training duties, and because they show in the houses in which
they are billeted consideration and all the other true instincts
of gentlemen. ... Any young man who is spoken of as a
“nice boy” by the lady folk may be ticketed off as a right
good sort of fellow, and, according to the feminine judgment, the
members of the force now training at Epsom are—the great
majority of them—* Very nice boys.” ... Every morning during
the week the bugle has been heard sounded in the streets at
a quarter to six, and again at ten—the reveille and Lights Out.
The men have to parade each morning at half-past six. The
inhabitants, when they wake to the sound of the early morning
music, think it is very kind of the buglers to call up their
comrades, but wonder who calls up the buglers. Many of the
P.S. Royal Fusiliers follow their ordinary daily life occupations
which do not necessitate such early greeting of the morn, and
this getting out of bed each day about six may be among their
new experiences. . . . The meals during the day have been at 9,
1, and 5.30. Three meals have to be supplied, and in a number
of cases the men are getting a fourth, for there is a long interval
between the time they leave off and have their third meal and
bed-time. The men cannot, without permission, go outside a
five-mile radius, and there are certain places in the parish which
are ‘‘ out of bounds.”
A writer in The Standard gave an interesting account, which
is worth preserving, of the “uniform” of the period:
56 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
The Public Schools Corps is a strange-looking lot of men.
They are all at Epsom in “their old things.” Some wear old
public-school scarves and college sweaters. The popular fancy
in head-covering is the golf-cap, usually worn well over the
left ear. The rest of the raiment is nondescript, being mostly
grey or brown shooting or riding outfit. But the boots—they
were made heavy, and they clatter well on the pavements.
Each “‘man” of these boys is denoted by a cardboard badge
which he wears in the lapel of his coat, bearing the letters in
blue U.P.S. The officers are distinguished by a red sign... .
The U.P.S. was in one sense the most democratic Brigade
in the Army. Nearly all the men started level, and were pro-
moted according to their ability. On October 11 the first lot
of rifles were received—200 to each battalion.
At this period it was made known that the following
officers would constitute the staff and command the various
battalions.
Brigade Staff:
Brigadier-General R. Gordon Gilmour, C.B., C.V.O., D.S.O.
Major H. E. Raymond.
Capt. R. Hermon-Hodge, M.V.O.
18th Battalion, Colonel Lord Henry Scott.
19th Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel W. Gordon.
20th Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel C. H. Bennett, D.S.O.
21st Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel J. Stuart Wortley.
On October 18, 1914, the King inspected the Brigade.
By His Majesty’s request no review movements were arranged,
the 4,500 men being seen under ordinary training conditions.
The 18th and 19th Battalions paraded on Epsom Downs near
the Grand Stand. The King, who was accompanied by Major
Clive Wigram, inspected each company, walking down the ranks.
After a visit to Woodcote Park, where two companies were busy
helping to erect the huts, the King went on to Ashtead, where
[9g
“oursseg |
“HUVd ALODGOOM LV dNVD AHL AO MAIA
[Lg
“TU ‘uosurqoy se[snog jueueynory Aq SUIMeIC, & WOT
“MuUVd ALODGOOM LV dNVO HHL AO MAIA AAA-S.GYId V
e ot
nhs pu RIN
AND ACTULIUIN
EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD 57
he saw the 21st Battalion. Then the journey was continued
to Leatherhead, where the 20th Battalion was inspected. In
conversation with the officers after the inspection, the King
said he had inspected 200,000 recruits, and the members of the
Public School Brigade were the finest he had seen. His Majesty
also expressed surprise at the advanced stage of the training in
so short a time. In The London Gazette on October 26, the
following list of appointments made to the Brigade appeared :
lst Battalion.—The Hon. George A. Akers-Douglas, to be
Adj. and temp. Capt. To be temp. Major: James Westwood-
Henderson. ‘Tio be temp. Capts.: Samuel N. Dale, Harold C.
Hicks, Herbert E. Bowes-Lyon, and John G. C. Leech. To
be temp. Lieuts.: Owen Price-Edwards, Patrick M. Spence,
Launcelot A. Hutchinson, Reginald C. Beattie, and Cyril O.
Skey. To be temp. Sec. Lieuts.: Reginald G. Groom, John
S. Burton, Edward P. Hallowes, Harold B. Baker, Henry
Smurthwaite, James S. Annan, Thistle Robinson, Carl W. Jensen,
Donald Hazeldine, Gerard P. Hayes, Francis R. Bacon, Humphrey
EK. Bowman, Cyril F. Johnston, Cecil F. Brymer, Norman J.
Holloway, Alban C. P. Arnold, and Dudley M. H. Jewell.
2nd Battalion.—To be temp. Majors: Frank Warner-Abbatt
and Roland H. Hermon-Hodge, M.V.O. To be temp. Capts. :
Charles C. Bradley, Frederick H. Shove, Robert W. Hammond,
George C. Shipster, Henry M. Tuite, Herbert Oakes-Jones, and
Reginald A. Helps. To be temp. Lieuts.: John Aylmer,
Christopher B. Simpson, Charles H. Skey, Leonard B. Helder,
Edward G. Bannister, Eric M. I. Buxton, and Hugh G. M.
Bradley. “fo be temp. Sec. Lieuts.: Charles EH. S. Loxley,
John A. Robin, Cecil S. Meares, Robert A. Darney, Herbert
C. Hatton-Hall, Alfred F. Jolly, Thomas E. Maddocks, Philip
Ingoldson, Harry A. Riddle, and Edward R. Pallett. Frederick
Patou to be temp. Q.-master with the hon. rank of Lieut.
3rd Battalion.—Herbert E. P. Townsend to be Adj. and
temp. Major. To be temp. Major, Edward J. Stuart. To be
temp. (Capts.; Herbert H..J.. Hickley, John F. H. Templer,
John R. Holden, Charles Yorston, Alfred L. Ladenburg, William
F. Macdonald, Herbert J. Edleston, and Thomas L. Boyce. To
be temp. Lieuts.: George H. Spilspar-Potter, John W. Heinemann,
8
58 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
Thomas Moyle,
Leonard D. Cane,
Daniel “L. G. Pi-
gache, George G.
Ziegler, Charles P.
Schwabe, and David
Cuthbert. To be ; ae
temp. Sec. Lieuts. : H a
Eric T. Wright, ;
Allen Maxwell, Mon- ca eats
tague H. M. Hunter, HEAD
Clive. 5: Praser;
David W. Hollings-
worth, Douglas S.
Hodgson - Jones,
Herbert Wallworth,
George W. Usher,
and Bertram R.
Delbos.
Ath Battalion. —
Lieut. Sir Robert J.
M. Walker, Bt.,
Coldstream Guards,
Special Reserve, to
be Adj. and temp.
Capt. To be temp.
Majors: Herbert F.
Fenn and John C.
Weartiie yo .£0.be | EStontlese
tem p : Ca p ts.: {The ‘‘ Pow-wow.”
George F. Beal, A HOPELESS DAWN.
Russell P. Gould,
Phipps E. Stanley, and John V. Betts. To be temp. Lieuts.: Guy
Goldthorp, Henry Franklin, Richard H. Whittington, Alfred G.
Revill, Christopher G. Rathbone, Guy C. N. Mackarness. To be
temp. Sec. Lieuts.: Herbert W. Ling, Harold W. Smith, Allen
Harris, Richard V. Hart-Davis, Douglas Hoole, Gilbert E. R.
Meakin, Edwin R. Wilmshurst, and Lewis J. Cooke. Frederick
rane to be temp. Quartermaster with the hon. rank of
4eut.
Periodically lectures were given to the officers and men at
EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD 59
the Public Hall, Epsom, Drill Hall, Leatherhead, and also in
Ashtead.
We reproduce here the list of the first two courses of
lectures, in order to give some idea of the variety of subjects
included. The first course was as follows:
Subject. Lecturer.
1. Health of the Soldier . 5 . Dr. C. W. Saleeby, F.R.S.E.
2. History of the War é ‘ . Dr. H. 8. Hele-Shaw, F.R.S8.
3. 1870-1914 é : c ; . M. Emile Lesage.
4. The Japanese Soldier 5 i . Mr. A. Diosy, F.R.G.S.
5. The Kaiser as I knew Him . . Mr. Spencer Leigh-Hughes, M.P.
6. The Invasion of England : - Mr. H. Pouncy.
The second course was of a more strictly military nature
The subjects and lecturers were :
Subject, Lecturer.
1. Discipline j é e ; . Dr. H. 8S. Hele-Shaw, F.R.S.
2. Military Hygiene . - : . Dr. C. W. Saleeby, F.R.S.E.
3. First Aid : : : 5 . Dr. Davey.
4. Entrenching aa Ruck, R.E., C.B.
Sir Edward Raban, K.C.B.
5. Outposts and Scouts : : - General Sir R. Baden-Powell, K.C.B.
6. Marching . 2 ‘ : . Dr. H. 8. Hele-Shaw, F.R.S.
7. Cooking : : é A Mr. Herman Senn.
8. Explanations as to the Belligerents
and any Peculiarities regarding their
Methods of Warfare . : . Colonel Maude, R.E., C.B.
9. Use of Stars from a Military Point
of View : - : : . Dr. H. 8. Hele-Shaw, F.R.S.
10. Musketry : : : : . Captain Acland (late R.A.).
11. Operations in Winter. : . Colonel Mead.
12. Hints regarding Life in Camp . Dr. C. W. Saleeby, F.R.S.E.
By the beginning of November several hundred men had
left the Brigade to take up commissions, and it had been an-
nounced that 150 members of the Brigade between the ages of
nineteen and twenty-five would be given a three months’ course
of training free at Sandhurst if they were ready to take up
permanent commissions.
60 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
On Friday, November 18, Major-General Sir Francis Lloyd
inspected the Brigade on the Downs.
At this time the strength of the Brigade was about 4,500.
240 more recruits had joined, 170 being posted to the 21st
and 70 to the 20th Battalion. Nothing eventful occurred before
Christmas, field-days, “ night-ops,” etc., taking up the time.
About this time Major Raymond left the Brigade and Capt.
Hermon-Hodge was gazetted Brigade Major.
Christmas leave was granted to 50 per cent. of the Brigade
and the remainder went on leave at the New Year. The men
had now been in billets for fifteen weeks, and those who had
to spend Christmas in billets could not speak too highly of the
hospitable manner in which they were entertained. During the
first week in January about 100 recruits arrived at Leatherhead
from Manchester.
About this time the controversy regarding commissions
came to a head and during the following months letters con-
tinually appeared in the Press on the subject, urging the country’s
need for officers and indicating the U.P.S. Brigade as the evident
source of supply. Many men were applying for commissions,
but these applications did not in all cases meet with encourage-
ment from the commanding officers. One correspondent writing
for The Morning Post on March 81, 1915, stated that the War
Office had issued an order that the veto used so sternly by
C.0.’s would be withdrawn for the moment, but that this order
had been contemptuously ignored by the C.O.’s of the U.P.S.
Brigade. The letter continued :
Is it to the general good of the Army that, at a time when
officers are urgently needed, men who should be officers should
be kept in the ranks as privates, who should fill the vacant
places? Men of university and public school training; men
who have been for years in the O.T.C.; men who have handled
men, men who have made great sacrifice, to serve? Certainly
BRIGADIER-GENERAL R. GORDON GILMOUR, C.Bs, C.V.O., D.S.O.
60]
~sgyjo hee tl
rua “OW ‘+79 COH-NOWAAH ay WOrVIN
9 IANOTOD _..
‘NOLTVLIVE Hoe
“o's'd “TLaNNad: “A ‘yorvwW AdVD
ONIGNVININOD
OSNIGNVWWOD
E
‘NOITIVLLVA Hie
‘NOdHOD
HOTA TOM
TANOTOO- LOGIT
ONTGNVINWOD
“NOITVLLVa HL8t
“LLOOS
AUNAH Gdo'T
THNOTOO
[19
AGN “LIQTIVH °9 NIVIAV ‘NOITIVLLVA LSI DNIGNVNWOD
ey ‘KATIMOM LUVOLS ‘f THNOTOO"LOATT
[
}
|
i
j
EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD 61
not. They are in the ranks, and in the ranks they must remain.
Their C.O.’s must be considered first. Neither War Office
orders, nor men, nor the highest interests of the nation in peril
count.
We quote the above in order to show the feeling that
existed amongst the general public. Many other letters to the
same effect could be cited. In fairness to the O.C.’s of Bat-
talions it should be stated that the Committee were in close
communication with the War Office on the subject, and that
their ruling was taken in the matter. During the second week
in January the following Brigade order appeared :
The G.O.C. is authorized by the Secretary of State for War
to state that the Brigade is not to be utilized as an O.T.C.,
and that nothing is further from Lord Kitchener’s intention
than this should be so.
About this time over 1,000 men had left to take up com-
missions, and no doubt this order from the War Office was
intended to check the tendency of so many of the men to apply
for commissions,
On April 15 the Committee of the Public Schools Brigade
replied through the Press to its many correspondents and critics
as follows:
PUBLIC SCHOOLS BRIGADE
REPLY TO CRITICISMS
To the Editor of ———-—
SIR, *
Our attention has been called to correspondence which
has appeared in the Press with regard to the selection of
members of the Public Schools Brigade for commissions in the
Army, and, in view of the erroneous statements which have
been made, we think that the true position of affairs should
be made known.
62 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
In September last the War Office authorized the raising of
a Brigade, to consist in all of 5,400 public school and university
men.
Recruiting was energetically carried on, and we reached a
total of very little short of that number. The need for officers
for the new Army then began to make itself apparent, and, as
was natural, in a Brigade composed practically entirely of
public school and university men, large numbers began to be
taken from our ranks to receive commissions in other regiments.
This went on without any check until early in the year,
when the Brigadier-General and officers of the Brigade and the
men under them began to fear that the Brigade had practically
been turned into an Officers’ Training Corps, and approached
our Committee with a view to ascertaining the exact position.
We therefore made inquiries from those in authority at
the War Office, and received assurances that the Brigade was
intended to continue to exist as a unit, and not as an Officers’
Training Corps.
Further, we were assured that there was no intention of
drawing upon the Brigade for more officers except in special
cases, of which there would only be a small number.
At that time 1,700 men had already been recommended for
commissions. Since then further need for officers had arisen.
We, realizing this, agreed to more men being taken, and when
this new demand on us has been satisfied a total of not less
than 3,083 men will have been taken altogether out of our
Brigade.
We think it is only fair to the Brigade itself and to our-
selves as a Committee to make public these facts and figures,
which speak for themselves, and surely afford a conclusive
answer to the criticisms that have appeared to the effect that
the Brigadier-General and his officers, and we as a Committee,
have put obstacles in the way of men obtaining commissions.
All the men who are fit for and desirous of commissions
have now been recommended for appointment.
ARTHUR STANLEY, Chairman.
Lurean, Vice-Chairman.
H. J. Boon.
J. W. ORDE.
Committee of the Public School Brigade, Royal Fusiliers,
Committee Room 65, 88 Pall Mall, S.W., April 15.
EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD 63
Many discussions have taken place since those days by
U.P.S. men, and the prevailing opinion is that it was a great
mistake not to have turned the Brigade in its infancy into an
O.T.C. There is a unanimous feeling also that the 20th Batta-
lion was not fairly treated and a great amount of ill-feeling
was expressed in Manchester. Although we are unable to give
the exact figures, there is no doubt that the percentage of the
men of this Battalion who were recommended for commissions,
compared with those of the other three Battalions, was very
small indeed.
After the above letter was published further need arose
for officers. These were supplied, but fresh demands were
continually made, and, as a result, the 18th, 19th, and 21st
Battalions were eventually disbanded in France.
Over 7,000 officers were supplied from the Brigade since
it was raised. This is a unique record, which has never been,
and probably never will be, equalled. Such a result of untiring
work on behalf of the Brigade was far beyond the expectations
of the members of both committees. It would have been a
sin to have sent the Brigade as originally raised to the firing
line. No finer body of men was ever assembled, and it was
apparent in the early days in Hyde Park that the nation
possessed in the Brigade a wonderful ready-made source of
supply of officers. No member of the old U.P.S. need regret
his connection with it, and probably there are few who are
not proud of having once been members of the famous Brigade,
and who will not without pleasure and regret look back on
those happy days spent at Epsom, Ashtead, and Leatherhead.
Nor will they ever forget the hospitality and kindness of the
inhabitants of these towns, which made the many weeks spent
there pass so happily.
During January attention was directed to the progress made
in the building of the camp. It was difficult even then to
64 THE HISTORY OF THE ‘“U.P.S.”
forecast when the huts would be ready for occupation. Efforts
were concentrated on the lines designated for the 20th Battalion.
The buildings in the Farm Camp which had been allotted to
the 18th Battalion were well advanced, but much work still
remained to be done before the quarters of either Battalion
would be fit for occupation. The outdoor work had been, and
was still, seriously delayed by the prevailing wet weather.
On Friday, January 22, Lord Kitchener, accompanied by
the French War Minister, M. Millerand, inspected the Brigade
on Epsom Downs. This inspection will not easily be forgotten
by the U.P.S., as there was a heavy snow-storm at the time,
and the Downs were covered with snow several inches thick.
The inspection only lasted about five minutes, after which Lord
Kitchener left to inspect more troops at~- Aldershot. The
Epsom Herald gave an interesting little picture of the scene:
Several years have come and gone since the district had
such a visitation of snow ... and the ground was well covered
. . . by the time any one anxious to witness the inspection had
begun to make the necessary ascent. It was surprising how
many people did commence the ascent, considering the most
abnormal weather conditions, To suddenly plunge into a snow-
storm of the kind prevailing required some little courage on
the part of ladies, but quite a large number of them marched
through the snow, already several inches deep, on to the Downs,
and waited there for some time to see Lord Kitchener. There
were the troops also to see, but there was no march past, and
in the bad snow-storm light, the vision could envelop only
those soldiers standing close to one. Had the day been a
very clear one, the eye would have absorbed far more of the
military picture.
The Downs have not, hitherto, been the background for such
a picture, one so big, and one so breathing the spirit of serious-
ness. Seriousness and silence often go hand in hand. They
did on this occasion, and the spectators, who would not have
braved such a snow-storm for any ordinary thing, felt that
they were present at proceedings which will be remembered as
forming a notable chapter in the history of the Downs... .
‘ T#9
*wuosdy ITAA |
‘SIGE “GZ AUVONVE ‘SNMOC WOSda NO ‘S‘d‘O AHL
ONILOAdSNI “‘GNVYATIIN “W “UHLSININ UVM HONAYA AHL AM GHINVdWODDV ‘THNAHOLIM GHOT
*tuosdsy “pPeyoye sg |
do SAS aVvordag aM WO TWN SOL ONIHOLVA JAVIS GNV HOOWTIS NOduOD TWYUANAD-YALG VOI
ee - -—-
EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD 65
Among those who saw the War Secretary were some of the
Belgian wounded soldiers. Thus Great Britain, France, and
Belgium had sons on the Downs on Friday, sons united by a
spirit of unconquerable confidence. When, if ever, will the
os again see anything so remarkable as it saw on Friday
ast ?
In an article which later appeared in Le Petit Parisien
M. Millerand was reported as stating that he was able to
ascertain that, from a physical point of view, the troops he saw
at Epsom and Aldershot could not be surpassed. What must
have impressed M. Millerand during his visit to England was
not, continues the writer, the number of men already with the
colours, or flowing into the recruiting offices, but their physical
and moral qualities and the remarkable degree of perfection of
their training. ..: .
Not only are these men of high physical standard, however ;
the five months’ training day and night in every kind of weather
under conditions which, except for the shells and bullets, were
practically the same as those experienced by their comrades at
the front, have turned them into trained soldiers, equal to the
very best of our own. There can be no doubt that these
British armies are equal to the best, and, whatever may be
the resources of Germany in men, she can never oppose to
them troops possessing the same qualities. Troops worn out
by six or seven months in the field, men of the Landsturm, or
recruits sixteen or seventeen years old, however enthusiastic and
however patriotic, will never be able to resist them. These new
armies are essentially national and democratic, and it is because
of this that they will go into the firing line with the same élan,
the same bravery, and the same spirit of sacrifice as our own
soldiers.
In January a Brigade recruiting office was opened at 20
Westminster Palace Gardens, London, $.W. This was organised
and run by the 21st Battalion, and was instrumental in enrolling
many recruits. ‘ During this month a large portion of the time
was spent in digging trenches at Caterham and Woldingham.
9
66 THE HISTORY “OF. THE otFe:-
Here we may give a brief account of some of the more
noteworthy football matches which the Brigade played during
this period. The first important match was a Rugby one
against the Canadian contingent. The following account is from
the Pow-Wow of December 28, 1914:
This match was played on the Richmond Athletic Ground
on Saturday, December 12, and the proceeds were to be equally
divided between H.M. the King of the Belgians’ Fund and the
Richmond Belgian Refugees’ Fund. The ground was in magni-
ficent condition, though slightly on the soft side, whilst the
weather was somewhat misty with scarcely any breeze. When
the game commenced, there was an attendance of about 3,000,
which total included fully 1,000 U.P.S. men and a very nice
smattering of smartly dressed ladies.
The teams took the field just after 3 o’clock, this being
twenty minutes behind the scheduled time for the kick-off.
These spare minutes were enlivened by the U.P.S. boys singing
some of their drawing-room choruses and shouting the step to
any late arrivals, whilst one enterprising kinema operator thought
the waiting crowd well worthy of a few special films. The
Canadians sported purple and helio-striped jerseys and the U.P.S.
wore red and black.
The teams lined out as follows:
Canadians: Back, Pte. H. Hogarth; three-quarters, Pte.
M. Bell-Irving, Pte. O. Fyson, Pte. A. P. Baker, Pte. Lothian;
half-backs, Capt. F. Bournes, Pte. G. C. Grant; forwards, Pte.
L. M. Spiers, Pte. (D. H. “Bell, Capi: Re Thoeraqqe ore ee
Gillespie, Pte. C. Cream, Pte. J. Lloyd, Pte. W. G. Grey, Capt.
Ravenhill (Capt.).
Public Schools and Universities’ Brigade: Back, Pte. T. W.
L. Strother; three-quarters, Pte. Hill, Pte. Watt, Pte. King,
Lieut. G. G. Ziegler; half-backs, Pte. Sievright and Pte. Braid-
ford; forwards, Capt. Heinemann, Pte. T. C. Burdett, Pte. J.
Ismay, Lieut. F. G. Matthews, Pte. T. Scott, Pte. McKenzie,
Pte. McKay, Pte. Walker.
ae Referee: Lieut. B. C. Hartley. Touch Judge: G. Rowland
ill.
T. C. Burdett, the Leicester forward, kicked off for the
U.P.S., and the first serum was formed close to the C.’s 25-line.
EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD 67
lt |
| | i Wot Hlecs ¥
(ne mere
= a A |
a 05\ .
see >?
Lt z= \\
AAA
il
\\
SS
[The ‘*‘ Pow-wow.”
MESS ORDERLY: ‘* WHAT! ASKING FOR MORE?”
PTE. O. TWIST: “NO; ASKING FOR SOME!”
This position was not held for long, for the C.’s rushed the ball
down to the U.’s 25 and within three minutes of the kick-off
Grant opened their scoring with a beautiful drop goal. This
early reverse put vigour into the U.’s, and, as a result of their
efforts, the C.’s were forced to touch down. Both teams were
now going at it hammer and tongs, the Canadian forwards show-
ing some fine bursts, with a counter brilliance of the U.’s
three-quarters in defence, the game being mostly contested in
the C.’s half. A free kick was awarded U.P.S. on their own
25, but no advantage gained.
The U.’s tried very hard to open up the game with some
good rounds of passing, but the C.’s tackling was exceptionally
68 THE HISTORY ‘OF THEY:
keen and safe. One promising movement initiated on the right,
a quarter of an hour after the start, was spoilt by Watt, and
another round by the U.’s immediately after caused the C.’s
to touch down. The U.P.S. were not to be denied, however,
and seventeen minutes after the kick-off they notched their
first point as the result of Lieut. Ziegler cross-kicking on the
C.’s 25, so that Hill, gathering the ball and beating Irving and
Hogarth, scored behind the posts. Burdett took the kick, but
failed to convert. The U.’s continued to press, and a free kick
on the C.’s 25, from a fairly easy angle, taken by Burdett,
failed. From the 25 kick a rush was made by the U.P.S.,
which again forced the C.’s to touch down. After this, for the
first time since their opening score, the C.’s obtained a footing
on the U.’s 25 line, where there was a brief stoppage for a C.
who was winded. Although confined to their own half the C.’s
forwards had played a grand game, and worked wonderfully hard.
The U.P.S. soon returned to the attack, their forwards
showing some fine bursts. They were all but over when the
ball was kicked dead.
Following the drop out, the C.’s, by a grand forward rush,
again reached the U.’s 25 line, when half-time was called with
the score reading :
C.’s 1 dropped goal (4 points); U.P.S., 1 try (3 points).
Following the re-start, the play was taken into the C.’s
half, where the U.P.S. started a round of passing—all the backs
participating until the ball reached Lieut. Ziegler, who ran well
and re-passed to King, who scored behind the posts. Scott
converted. The C.’s then pressed hard and reached the U.P.S.
goal-line, where for some time they worked desperately hard to
break through. The U.P.S. defence was grand, and at last
they reached the half-way line, only to be driven back again
to their own 25.
Lieut. Ziegler was playing a magnificent game, and mainly
owing to his efforts mid-field was again reached. The game
was fast and furious, and the C.’s efforts were at last rewarded
by Gillespie gaining an unimproved try in the extreme left-
hand corner a quarter of an hour after the interval. This brought
the score to U.P.S. 8 points, C.’s 7 points, and the C.’s still
pressing.
The U.P.S. worked hard, but could not get beyond the
half-way line. The Canadian forwards at this stage were play-
EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD 69
ing finely, and, had it not been for the plucky and safe gather-
ing of the ball from their feet by Strother, they must surely
have had their efforts rewarded. The U.’s line was still in
danger, but in spite of this they elected to play the open game,
and a round of passing, initiated on their own 25 line, passing
and re-passing, ended in Braidforth scoring under the posts and
Scott converting.
With only ten minutes to go the C.’s continued to press,
mainly by the splendid work of their forwards, and were very
soon again close to the U.P.S. line. By this time it was be-
coming difficult to see across the ground owing to the mist and
failing light. A mark, made by the C.’s wide out, resulted
in Hogarth kicking a goal. Two minutes later the final whistle
sounded, with the scores standing: U.P.S., 2 goals 1 try (18
points) ; Canadians, 2 goals (1 drop), 1 mark, and 1 try (10 points).
There was not a man on either side who played a bad
game. The Canadian forwards were magnificent, and certainly
too good for the U.P.S. back, both in the scrum and in the
open. Their rushes were full of vigour. Although outclassed,
the U.P.S. pack worked hard. Behind the scrum the U.P.S.
were a long way superior to the C.’s. The halves took every
possible opportunity of opening up the game, and the _ three-
quarters gave some good exhibitions of passing. Lieut. Ziegler
was the best man on the field. The defence of both teams
was good, the tackling throughout being clean and crisp. Both
sides played a good hard game, and the score of 18 points to
10 in the U.P.S. favour represents fairly the difference in the
two teams.
On Saturday, January 2, 1915, the Public Schools Brigade
played a Rugby match against the Northern Command at
Queen’s Club, and beat them by 12 points to 10. The pro-
ceeds of this match, which amounted to over £60, were given
to the Prince of Wales’s Fund. We take the following account
from The Referee of January 3:
The Public Schools Brigade, though heavily handicapped
by severe military duties and restricted leave, was able to beat
the Northern Command, whom they met at Queen’s Club yester-
day in a match for the benefit of the Prince of Wales’s Fund. There
was a very fair attendance, but most of the spectators wore khaki.
70 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
It was extremely doubtful, on the previous evening, if the
Public Schools would be able to raise a team, for their training
has now entered on a serious stage, and eventually the selected
team had to be completely reorganized. A. D. Roberts and
H. T. Maddocks played with the Brigade for the first time, but
both were evidently past their international form, and neither
made any mark on the game.
At the start it looked as if the Public Schools Brigade
would have matters all its own way, for G. G. Ziegler, the old
Haileybury boy, was in great form on the right wing, and in
twenty minutes he had scored twice. His pace has improved,
and he has a remarkably good stride, and for so fleet a man
he is not easily put off, He had several tries before he suc-
ceeded, and twice he was brought down just outside the line,
but at last he got over near the corner flag, and a minute later
he scored behind the posts, after a great run. Maddocks con-
verted the second try, but very soon afterwards the Northern
Command made an entry on the score sheet. The captain,
Greary-Smith, intercepted a pass in mid-field during an attack,
and after a capital run he scored behind the posts for Dingle to
convert. At the interval the Public Schools led by 8 points to 5.
The Northern Command had not up to this time played
a good game. ‘The five three-quarters only got in each other’s
way, and they could have done with the extra man in the
scrummage, for the Public Schools pack got the ball nearly
every time. The passing on both sides was poor, and there
was a lack of combination. The Harlequins’ game of throwing
the ball about answered very well when the men have a good
understanding and rigorously keep their places; but the public
schoolmen lacked both these qualities, and there were on the
other side several men of above the average pace. The result
was that the public schoolmen made no profit out of the policy,
and the Northern Command showed them how to _ intercept
passes. arly in the second half Lieut. Cannell got hold of a
ball that was being recklessly thrown about, and when, after
running some distance, he had only the full back to beat, he
passed to Dingle, and the try was certain, Roberts not having
the pace to catch the Durham man. Dingle improved the try,
and the Command led by two points.
The schoolmen made determined efforts to score, and kept
the play in their opponents’ territory, and at last from a
EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD 71
scrummage near the line Braidford dropped a clever goal and
gave his side the victory by two points, the final score being:
Public Schools Brigade, 2 goals (one dropped) 1 try (12 points) ;
Northern Command, 2 placed goals (10 points).
On Saturday, January 16, C Company of the 18th Battalion
of the U.P.S. played a Rugby match against K and Q Com-
panies, 2nd Battalion of the Artists’ Rifles, and beat them by
25 points to 9. The following account is taken from The
Morning Post of the 18th:
In the match on Richmond Athletic Ground on Saturday,
the Public Schools and Artists Company fifteens showed ex-
cellent form. The Schools team from Epsom won handsomely
at the finish, but for three parts of the game the Artists went
very strongly, and actually led into the second half. It was
no mere scratch “kick up” that we saw. The forwards were
forming down quickly and swinging together on the ball as the
scrummage loosened; half-backs (scrum and flying) were always
bringing the three-quarters into action with a strategy that
can only be attained by dint of much practice. It was skilled
Rugby at half-back, indeed, that distinguished both sides, and
where the Public Schools turned the game was on the three-
quarter line; the men knew how to seize their chances. D.
Wellesley-Smith, of Dulwich, playing on the outside right wing,
looked the well-taught player at every turn; he was always
“there” for the pass; he fielded the ball brilliantly, and then
showed that he had the pace and the swerve. Openings developed
on that wing went a long way towards the turning of the match.
It was pleasing to see how W. F. A. Chambers, of St.
Paul’s, playing flying man, developed the attack before getting
his three-quarters under way; he has the real art of the half-
back, after the manner of Adrian Stoop, and insists upon doing
something before parting with the ball. Then E. J. G. Gibb—
another old St. Paul’s boy and a good cricketer as well as a
Unionist—made a great centre three-quarter, while Bamberger
—an honoured name in school boxing—was admirable in his
straight running. Nor was try-getting the only virtue possessed
by the Schools. In Barnes, who was playing right-centre to
Wellesley-Smith, we saw a place and a drop kick of more than
normal excellence. With a following wind he showed that he
72 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
could place a goal from the edge of touch, and then in the
last minute before ‘‘ No-side” he dropped a goal from a mark
somewhere in the vicinity of mid-field. No wonder the Public
Schools won by three goals and four tries to three tries. Yet
the Artists made a fine fight of it from beginning to end.
M. E. K. Westlake, the famous Sherborne School wicket-keeper
two summers ago, worked hard to keep the pack going; at
the base of the scrummage G. F. Padbury, of St. Paul’s, was
very quick in getting the ball out to C. E. Wilson, the flying
half, formerly at Eastbourne. Wilson is a class half-back.
Eastbourne, of course, has become one of the leading Rugby
Schools, and it gave to Cambridge one of its foremost forwards
of recent years in G. V. Carey. Another prominent Artist
outside the scrummage. was Quinn, a_ three-quarter and a
kinsman of the Irish International. It was a fine bright match
right through the piece, and again we had evidence that the
military life of the men makes for extra fitness.
On Saturday, February 6, an exciting Association Match
took place, it being the occasion of the Final for the Brigadier’s
Challenge Cup. In this match B Company, 20th Battalion
(Leatherhead), defeated C Company, 21st Battalion (Ashtead), by
5 goals to 3. Much interest, naturally, was excited by this
match, and so we preserve the very full account given in The
Surrey Advertiser of the 18th:
When the football season commenced, Brigadier-General
Gordon Gilmour (commanding officer of the Brigade) offered
a challenge cup to be competed for by the various companies,
and the final tie for this trophy was played on the Epsom
Recreation Ground on Saturday afternoon, the teams left in
bemg B Company, 20th Battalion (Leatherhead), and C Com-
pany, 21st Battalion (Ashtead). The ground was in good con-
dition, considering the bad weather lately experienced, and a
large crowd attended to witness the encounter, the majority of
the spectators being in khaki. Shortly after 2.30 p.m., the
advertised time for kicking off, the teams lined up as follows:
B Company.—Goal, Pte. Saville; backs, Ptes. Howard and
Carver ; halves, Ptes. Hughes, Lang, and Musgrove ; forwards, Corpl.
Shorrocks, Ptes. Hallows, Scholes, Clegg, and Sergt. Whitehead.
‘uosdy S90} IY AA -S}YFtuyT]
“SIGE “9 AUVOAUEAA “dOD AONATIVAD S.UAIGVOIYA AHL YOA IVNIA AHL NI SNVAL TIvaLloot
ay Sam! or maRe
1éL
smosdg ‘preyere Ail
“IVNIA dO) SMALGVOINA AML
hme RRC
Ee ee
EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD 73
C Company.—Goal, Pte. Rolfe; backs, Sergt. Jones and
Pte. Ross; halves, Ptes. Kendrick, Mee, and Slade; forwards,
Sergt. Horton, Sergt. Hales, Ptes. Taylor, Kerr, and Jenkins.
Referee: Mr. E. G. Gayford, secretary, Surrey County A.F.A.
The opening exchanges went in favour of the Ashtead
contingent, Jenkins and Kerr especially distinguishing them-
selves by some fine runs on the left wing. From one of these,
after about fifteen minutes’ play, Kerr opened the scoring with a
good shot. B Company pressed after this, but found Ross very
safe, he clearing his lines time after time when matters looked
rather dangerous. Whitehead and Clegg combined well, and
the former had nobody but Rolfe to beat, but his final shot
from an acute angle went wide. A corner next fell to C
Company, and from the kick the custodian fisted out, and one
of the backs kicked down the field again. Shorrocks made one
or two beautiful runs after this, and Whitehead struck the post
with a good shot. From a throw-in Hallows pressed over to
Whitehead, and he in turn gave to Clegg, who banged the
ball into the net from about a dozen yards out. Shortly after-
wards Shorrocks made off again, and passed to his partner,
who centred well. Clegg fastened on the ball, and scored again,
thus putting his company in front. Ashtead tried hard to
pierce their opponents’ defence, Jenkins working very hard to
achieve this purpose; but Lang and Ross proved the stumbling-
block time after time, whilst, if they got past the backs, Saville
showed himself to be very safe between the sticks. The half-
time score was: B. Company, 2 goals; C Company, 1 goal.
Soon after the re-start the B Company forwards swarmed
round the Ashtead goal, and Shorrocks looked like getting
through, but only a corner resulted. This was cleared, and,
amid great enthusiasm, Jenkins broke away on the left, and
sent in a spanking shot, which Saville saved in a marvellous
manner. The game proceeded at a very fast pace, two corners
falling to Ashtead in quick succession. Not to be denied,
Leatherhead came away once more, and Hallows, obtaining the
ball in a good position, gave the goalie no chance whatever with
a quick shot. Two goals behind, Ashtead roused themselves
up, and for some time dominated the play. In less than a
minute, after good combination with their forwards, Taylor
reduced the lead with a splendid shot, and not long afterwards
their persistence was again rewarded, Jenkins equalizing with
10
74 THE HISTORY OF THES we,
a good shot, after a fine run. From now until the finish the
game was very exciting, both ends of the field being visited
in turn. Shorrocks, Hughes, and Hallows repeatedly got away
on the left, but either their final efforts were stopped by the
Ashtead backs, Ross especially doing well, or they shot wide of
the mark. In the closing stages Jenkins went half-back for
Ashtead, and this seemed to take all the sting out of their
attack, as he was undoubtedly the best forward on the field.
Leatherhead appreciated the change, and, despite Hughes’s knee
giving way, they scored twice more, through Whitehead and
Clegg, the latter thus putting on 3 goals. Result: B Company,
5 goals; C Company, 3 goals.
At the conclusion of the match the cup was presented to
the winning team by Brigadier-General Gordon Gilmour, who
said he did not think he had ever seen a more keenly fought,
better contested, or better-tempered game than the one they
had witnessed that afternoon.
Pte. Saville, in accepting the cup, said, as captain of B
Company team, it gave him great pleasure to receive the cup
from the Brigadier. That was the fourth or fifth game they
had played in the competition, and he thought Ashtead had
given them the best game of the lot. He wished them better
luck next time. (Cheers.)
The teams were afterwards photographed. A copy of this
photograph is reproduced here.
enon
{The ‘* Pow-wow.”
LIFE’S LITTLE U.P.S. AND DOWNS. JONES IN THE SIXTH AT SCHOOL WAS ALWAYS
LOOKED UP TO BY SMITH MINOR, BUT NOW THINGS ARE DIFFERENT.
CHAPTER IV
THE CAMP AT EPSOM
SINCE the inspection by Lord Kitchener and M. Millerand no event
of particular importance took place until Saturday, February 20,
when the advance party of the 20th Battalion entered the
camp in Woodcote Park. By the following Thursday the whole
of this Battalion occupied their new quarters. A week or so
later one company of the 20th Battalion followed and on
March 6 a second company, so that at this date about 1,600
men were in the hutments.
A very complete description of the camp, as it appeared
in the middle of February, was given in The Epsom Herald of
February 13. Part of this account is reproduced here:
It was on November 25 that a start was made with the
erection of the camp in that portion of Woodcote Park not
laid out by the owners for golf, ete. The portion in question
is on the side of the estate adjoining the Headley Road, and
Chalk Pit Road. The 18th Battalion quarters are among the
trees near the farm, some little distance away from the quarters
of the other three Battalions. Trees overhang many of the
buildings, which comprise the huts in which will sleep, eat,
read and write the members of the 18th Battalion. . . . This
part of the camp stands low, as compared with the other part,
and except on one side not much of a view can be obtained.
But whoever occupy the huts among the trees will, on fine
warm days, think they are having quite a pastoral existence.
The buildings constituting the quarters of the 18th Battalion are
dotted here and there amongst the trees, and their arrangement
is quite different from that of the buildings forming the quarters
75
76 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
of the other battalions. The huts of the 19th, 20th, and 21st
Battalions are in two long lines with their fronts facing each
other. Between the two lines is a space about 70 feet wide.
A portion of this space is being utilized for the purposes of a
road, which will run between the huts from the Headley Road
entrance, to a point right away in the direction of Langley
Bottom. It will have huts on each side for a distance of about
three-quarters of a mile... . The buildings of the three Battalions
in question are continuous. The 19th Battalion quarters are
those nearest the main entrance from Headley Road, then come
those of the 20th Battalion, the one which is going in first
—and then those of the 2ist. The ground is undulating, and
consequently few of the buildings are exactly on the same level,
but they practically all stand on very high ground, which is
swept by fresh air and is tonically healthy in the extreme... .
There are twenty-four huts to each Battalion, and each hut
is 120 feet long and 20 feet wide. It has a timber frame,
built on wooden supports, which prevent any part of the floor
resting on the ground. The sides of the hut are constructed
externally of corrugated iron, and lined internally with match-
boarding. The distance from the grooved and tongued floor-
boards to the eaves is 8 feet, and to the apex of the span
roof 10 feet. The huts, which are 80 feet apart, have hospital
window-frames and sashes. There are also Louvre ventilators
in the gables. For heating purposes each hut has three slow-
combustion stoves, and the lighting is by electric lamps. The
roofs are of matchboard, covered by special stoneflex felt. Each
hut is to accommodate fifty men, for sleeping and for meals.
Spring mattresses, palliasses, blankets, and sheets will be the
articles which will assist the men to woo slumber. There will
be twenty-five beds in each side of a hut. Over each bed will
be a shelf, fitted with hooks. In the centre of the huts will be
the tables which will be used for meals, writing, games, etc.
For each Battalion there are officers’ quarters. In each of four
of the buildings, comprising these quarters, are eight rooms for
the officers, and one for the officers’ servants. There is another
separate building for the officers’ mess, reading-room, and lounge.
From the side of these two rooms is a corridor which leads to
the kitchen, store-room, scullery, pantry, etc. Another set of
buildings attached to each Battalion quarters comprises the
Sergeants’ mess, The dining-room is 86 feet by 20 feet, the
THE CAMP AT EPSOM rie
reading-room 20 feet by 20 feet, and the kitchen 20 feet by
20 feet. Other departments include the beer, liquor, and other
stores. Each Battalion will also have a doctors’ consulting-
room, 30 feet by 15 feet, and a waiting-room. Then, of course,
there must be a large place in which meals can be prepared
for the armies of men. For the 20th and 21st Battalions there
is a double cook-house. The other battalions have a cook-
house each. The cook-houses have baking-ovens for roasting
purposes, and steam-jacketed pans for stews, and steam-heated
tea-makers. These cook-houses are very wide and lofty build-
ings. Each Battalion will have its own shower-baths. The
men will stand in concrete troughs, 2 feet 6 inches by 2 feet
9 inches, and have a shower-bath, using either hot or cold water
as they please. There will be galvanized iron divisions, though
the baths will be open in front. The number of baths for each
Battalion is forty-six. . . . Kach Battalion will have other build-
ings, including stabling for a number of horses. In these stables
will be galvanized iron mangers, and bale boards will divide
the cubicles. There will also be sheds for vehicles, harness,
forge, etc. Is it necessary to say that a canteen, fitted with
“wet” and “dry” bars, will form part of the Battalions’
equipment? But the biggest building of all has not been
mentioned.! This is the recreation hall, a splendid building,
erected on most generous lines. It is 180 feet long and 60
feet wide, and the distance between the floor and the eaves is
22 feet. The roof is constructed of Belfast wood trusses, so
that there are no pillars to break the view of any one in it.
This hall is to be fitted with a stage, and will be very suitable
for lectures, concerts, picture displays, and other forms of enter-
tainment. No doubt this fine camp acquisition will prove very
useful in a number of ways. Standing isolated from the other
parts of the camp is the miniature rifle-range, a closed-in place,
having skylights. There are five miniature ranges in it, fitted
with Solano and bull’s-eye targets. The length of the range is
100 feet. The camp is being fitted up with postal and telephone
facilities, and any one who wants a newspaper or a shave will
find that his wants can be readily attended to. A _ power
1 The Committee found the money for this large hall by building smaller canteens
instead of large regimental institutes for each Battalion, It may be mentioned that the
camp was eventually used as a Convalescent Hospital, and this large hall was found in-
dispensable, concerts and cinematograph shows being given every night to the convalescents.
78 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
station, to generate electricity for the 19th, 20th, and 21st
Battalions has been erected at one corner of the camp. The
18th Battalion will be supplied with current from Epsom electri-
city main, which goes as far as Woodcote House, near where
the Battalion’s quarters are situate. The Epsom water supply
is laid on to the camp, and, as a safeguard in case of fire,
hydrants have been fixed in various parts. There are also
hand-grenades provided. The camp has been connected up to
Epsom’s system of drainage, having regard to the designs pre-
pared by the War Office for typical camps. ... At the outset
Humphreys Ltd. employed 150 men, but during the last three
months the staff of workmen has been between 3800 and 400,
and there have been two general foremen and six sub-foremen.
As everybody knows, a number of members of the Brigade,
on some days as many as 500, were sent to the camp to assist
in the work, but latterly, being required for trench work else-
where, they have done little at the camp, except help to carry
articles into the huts. Never has a camp been erected under
more adverse conditions than the Woodcote Park Camp...
but the whole of the work will be completed in a few weeks’
time, and among the military camps that have been suddenly
created in the greatest crisis in the nation’s history, the Wood-
cote Park camp will be considered one of the very best. A
Y.M.C.A. building has yet to be erected. The Brigadier-General
and his staff will be quartered in the Woodcote Park House.
An interesting description of life in the new camp was
furnished by R. G. P. to The Derby Times, from which the
following is taken:
Our camp is composed of long structures of wood and
corrugated iron, and we take an especial pride in them from
the fact that we have taken no mean share in the work of
construction. There is an average of forty-five or fifty in a
hut, and every man has a spring bed, mattress, pillow, two
sheets, and four blankets. If he cannot keep warm with those,
he must put his overcoat on the bed or sleep in his socks.
Army underclothes and what is known as “small kit’ have
been issued to every man, and now they are possessed of
brushes, combs, braces, and various things which are necessary
THE CAMP AT EPSOM 79
for turning a soldier out as the authorities desire to see him.
No one can say that the huts are not comfortable, and there
are few complaints of sleeplessness. The boot is rather on
the other leg, and the N.C.O. in charge of the hut has not
infrequently to indulge in language not advisable in _ polite
circles, saving those adorned by Bernard Shaw, before he can
induce his men to get up. Once out of bed, however, no one
has much time to waste. There is capital washing and sanitary
accommodation, and there are boots and buttons to be cleaned,
chins to be shaved, and necks washed, to say nothing of making
the beds, and then there is generally a parade about 7 o’clock.
Many of our men must experience a sneaking sympathy for
the servants and chambermaids to whom, probably, they have
given plenty of unnecessary trouble in the past. All men
know now how to make beds and fold clothes, and, so far as
the bed-clothing goes, it is no light task. The blanket must
be folded lengthways, so as to present three pleats to the front,
and two blankets must be folded broadways, showing four
pleats; the remaining blanket covers the spring mattress, and
the beds must be folded up and placed against the walls in
twos. Then the pillow and sleeping clothes are wrapped up
in the mattress, whilst the sheets must be folded so as to show
four pleats to the front. They must be enclosed in the blankets
—which are black—so as to show plainly to the front, and all
are placed on the rolled bed. It certainly seems a somewhat
complicated performance, and perhaps one may wonder how it
is ever going to assist a soldier in the art of fighting Germans,
but it is by no means a lengthy performance, and it certainly
has a tendency to induce tidiness. Prior to coming here, I
had an abhorrence for anything that was tidy, but tidiness has
come as a gift now, and I have no doubt my bed looks as
well as the next; but when all the hut is completed the general
appearance is very fine indeed.
On March 27 General Sir Archibald Murray, K.C.B., C.V.O.,
D.S.0., Deputy Chief of the Imperial Staff, inspected the Brigade
on the Downs. This inspection was a most minute and careful
one, and such as would enable an accurate judgment .to be
formed of the forces. The Brigadier was later instructed to
express his satisfaction with what the General had seen, and
80 THE HISTORY OF (TRE es:
to say that the General would recommend certain steps with
a view to the Brigade being included in one of the early armies
going to the Front. The Brigadier then added the following: ~
“The Brigadier hopes that all ranks will realize that the pro-
ficiency of the whole Brigade may be judged by the bearing
and behaviour of the smallest unit, and that each individual
will do his utmost to prepare and perfect himself for war.”
These words of the Brigadier, coupled with the General’s message,
were welcomed by the Brigade, as they were the first official
intimation that the Brigade was likely to get a “‘ move on”
in the near future. This in due course took place, but in a
manner different from that expected, as will be related in the
following chapter.
It is right that we should write a few lines concerning
Brigadier-General Gordon Gilmour, C.B., C.V.O., D.S.0. The
Brigade was most fortunate in having him to command it, and
the U.P.S. early realized that they possessed in him a good
soldier and moreover a friend. He quickly gained the highest
esteem of all serving under him. Owing to the peculiar diffi-
culties associated with the Brigade, General Gilmour had a by
no means enviable position to fill. He was dependent upon
the Committee for practically everything that was needed by
the force, and for a soldier to be more or less dependent on a
civilian committee was something quite new. However, the
Committee at once gained his hearty co-operation, help, and
advice in their heavy undertaking. The question of com-
missions, moreover, was an exceedingly delicate one, and had
to be handled with considerable tact.
On April 2 two and a half battalions were in camp. One
of the attractions at the camp was the playing of the retreat
by the little drum and fife band of the 21st Battalion. As
one member stated, ‘“‘The band follows the call that is blown
each evening at sunset, by giving us one or two selections as
[os
‘ouessegq |
‘MuVd ALODGOOM “TTVH NOLLVaHORY AH
JMU
*ouesseq]
{18
‘MuUVd ALODGOOM LY TIVH NOLLVadOad AHL JO WOLMALNI
Wea Me mts
hmmheen: Gaba: a
th, /
a ah pity
be ae
#3) eel i" E
ee emmiarareesnaY Pal FS Te
vr TOOT OO En ta ® sy NS ie
"SOME. ats my
VVOOAA KX ADIN JS oN
TAS 1,
THE CAMP AT EPSOM 81
it marches up and down the street, for I suppose I may call
our only road ‘the Street... We used to see (and hear) the
same thing in Ashtead, but what a difference there is between
lolling out of a billet window to see the band and standing
one amongst some 2,000, more or less at attention, to see the
same band, and hear the same tunes up here in camp!”
' By April 15 the whole Brigade was in camp.
As to the hospital arrangements. At the beginning of
October 1914 the Eastern Command requested the V.A.D.
Surrey 28 to undertake the Ambulance Transport of the U.P.S.
Brigade, and, thanks to the loan of cars from gentlemen in the
neighbourhood and the motor ambulance from the British Red
Cross Society, the transport of patients from Epsom to the
London Military Hospital continued without cessation for five
months. During February 1915 Lieutenant Bradshaw Davy,
R.A.M.C., asked Mrs. Maltwood, who had been responsible for the
provision of the excellent Ambulance Transport, if a hospital
could be provided in the neighbourhood, as he was overwhelmed
by an epidemic of influenza, and it was impossible to find
room for so *many patients in London, where the Military
Hospitals were already full of wounded from the front. Mrs.
Maltwood threw herself energetically into the scheme. Permission
was obtained from the D.D.M.S. Eastern Command for a hut
in the camp, to be adopted as a temporary hospital, until a
permanent hospital for the Brigade was built. The hospital was
soon equipped locally and staffed with two efficient trained nurses
and V.A.D.’s, Lady Margaret Ryder taking command under the
M.O.’s with Mrs. Maltwood as Lady Superintendent and Mrs. Scott
Cater as Quartermaster. The Royal Automobile Club lent their
farmhouse to these ladies, and this proved a great boon to
them.
The Surrey County Director obtained a grant from the Surrey
Red Cross for the temporary hospital, and this grant was of very
11
82 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
SSS
SSS
SSS
WSS
ee
SILT
SS
dh stl
a RTT
ees
Wa] AD | i
ty y BY A
i ? ay
hh =a fi (7
|
[The ‘* Pow-wow.”
ANIMATED SCENE IN A U.P.S. HUT HALF AN HOUR AFTER REVEILLE.
great assistance in equipping it. March 16 was the opening day,
and the Brigadier-General and his staff paid a formal visit.
During the two months the Hospital was open the twenty-
five beds were continually filled by patients. Needless to say,
the patients much appreciated all that was done for them. The
new hospital was by this time in course of erection, but was
not destined to receive U.P.S. patients, as the Brigade moved
to Clipstone before its completion.
When the Brigade moved to Clipstone it was found that
there were no military hospitals within easy reach of the camp.
These Surrey ladies at once volunteered to go there and organize
THE CAMP AT EPSOM 83
a similar temporary hospital. A hut more suited for the pur-
pose was found, having a kitchen and large rooms suitable_for
wards providing accommodation for sixty patients. The neces-
sary equipment from Woodcote Park was conveyed north in
the ever-ready ambulance wagon, and local equipment was
lent until the War Office supplies arrived. Mrs. Scott Cater,
who acted as Quartermaster at Epsom, did splendid work at
Clipstone; great thanks is due to her for her patriotic work.
Similar thanks is also due to Lady Margaret Ryder and Mrs.
Maltwood and the other ladies who gave their whole time
voluntarily for the welfare and comfort of the sick of the
Brigade.
The Brigade had now been in Epsom and its neighbouring
town for over thirty weeks. It would be interesting to record
all the rumours as to its final destination that occurred during
these thirty weeks. The Egypt rumour seems the most con-
sistent, as it was positively attested that the Secretary had
ordered helmets. This was only ‘‘ knocked out’ when the
Secretary, on being asked if it were true, stated “‘Oh! yes, and
I have ordered 5,000 camels.’ France, Egypt, Aldershot, and
so forth were mentioned by turns, and various others are
chronicled in The Pow-wow. Epsom had been renamed Upsom,
and the following dialogue, which appeared in The Pow-wow at
this time, shows the feeling in the Brigade.
K. of K.: ‘‘So you give the palm to the ——s, do you?”
Sir J. F.: “ Yes, though mind you, the Grenadiers are very fine.”
K. of K.: ‘‘ What about the London Scottish ?”’
Sir J. F.: “ Magnificent !”’
K. of K.: ‘‘ By the bye, I don’t remember hearing anything about that public school
thing, you know.”
Sir J. F.: ‘‘The U.P.S. They never came out.”
K. of K.: ‘What! Good Lord, they must be still at Epsom!”
At the beinnning of May word came that the Brigade was
to proceed to Clipston, near Market Harborough, for divisional
84 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
training, and a few officers were deputed to proceed thither
and report on the camp, ete. It was also announced that the
following Battalions would enter Woodcote Park on its vacation
by the U.P.S.: 18th Essex Regt. (West Ham); 16th Middlesex
(Public Schools); 17th Middlesex (Footballers); 10th K.R.R.
(Church Lads’ Brigade). Officers from these Battalions arrived
at Epsom to inspect their new quarters. In the meantime
news had arrived from Clipston that no camp could be found.
Much merriment was caused by this intimation, and all thought
that some huge practical joke had been successful. A few
days later, however, after telephone calls, and correspondence,
information was received that ‘‘it was much regretted, but a
clerical error had been made.” The first instruction should have
read ‘“Clipstone, near Mansfield.”
The departure of the Brigade was a source of genuine regret
to the people of Epsom. Apart from the fact that the neigh-
bourhood had benefited greatly financially from the presence
of the Brigade, the public school men had made themselves liked
and respected by all, and many friendships had been formed
between the men and their hosts. At 8s. 44d. per man per
day the money spent on billeting alone worked out for 5,000
men for thirty weeks at over £177,000. Large sums of money,
moreover, were spent with the tradesmen of the locality, and
this, in the practical absence of racing, formed a considerable
source of income for the town.
The best description of the departure of the Brigade ap-
peared in The Epsom Herald, from which we take the follow-
ing extracts :
The exodus really began on Sunday (May 9, 1915) when
about thirty members of the Brigade, belonging to the Scout
contingent, started to walk all the distance to Clipstone. They
had a great journey before them, and the men at the camp
turned out of their huts to give the little party a rousing cheer
THE CAMP AT EPSOM 85
as it set forth on its long pilgrimage. On the following Monday
several hundred men—about a hundred from each Battalion—
also bade adieu to the camp at Epsom. They were the advance
party, and travelled by train to Clipstone to get things in
order for the host that was coming on Wednesday.
On Monday evening the train was crowded with soldiers.
It was thought that it was going to be their last “leave”
evening, though that did not prove to
be the case. Khaki streamed into the
place on Monday evening with a greater
force than probably it has ever streamed
since the camp was opened. Every man
still in the camp was anxious to spend
an evening in the town, and this bore a
most lively appearance. Everywhere in-
habitants and soldiers were shaking hands
and bidding each other God-speed. It was
a parting of no ordinary kind, as no such
parting can be in war-time, and in such
war-time as this. But the U.P.S. men,
ever cheerful, laughed and spoke of the
days when the war would be over, and
they would certainly come back to dear
old Epsom again, and visit those who had
been so very kind to them during their
sojourn in it. It was no use being down-
hearted, and 200 or 300 of the men (The “ Pow-wow.”
marched, four abreast, through the town, OETA One eS. MAN
with a banner carried in front of them. PAY.
On the white ground of this banner were
the words, in big black lettering, ‘“ Farewell to Epsom.”
Some of the men had, as “ musical’? instruments, pots, pans,
and children’s drums, and in front of the banner rode one of
their number on horseback, a steed having been secured from
a local stable.
On Tuesday at the camp there was all the activity and
excitement natural under the circumstances. The Brigade was
in the throes of getting ready to move away from the camp,
and there was movement everywhere. ... The men who were
to leave the Woodcote Park camp felt that they would not
leave it without some regrets, and without doubts as to whether
86 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
they would ever live again in such a comfortable and_ prettily
situated camp. Tuesday was a day to sharpen any feelings
of regret at leaving, for the weather, in the morning especially,
was lovely, and Woodcote Park was in its most charming mood.
What other military camp can boast of such riches of nature
as this camp can? For instance, what other camp has such
a lovely carpet of bluebells? The men, in the daylight before
the evening shadows fell, took a last look round.
Epsom Downs Station at the hour of midnight is usually
wrapped in silence, but this was not the case on Tuesday night.
Kight trains, each made up of carriages, luggage-vans, horse-
boxes and trucks for horses, were despatched for Edwinstowe,
the nearest station for Clipstone, between 12 and 8 am. The
first train left at 12, and there was just an hour’s interval
between the departures of the others. Both the inhabitants
of Epsom and the U.P.S. men, too, would have liked the de-
parture to have taken place in the day-time so that there could
have been a “regular send-off.’ As it was the departure was
witnessed by only a few persons. ... The entraining of the
men was carried out in perfect order, and as each train passed
out cheers were raised by the handful of people standing on
the platform. On the arrival of the troops at the station there
was no fuss or ceremony. Everything was conducted with
quietness and precision, and as the men left Epsom and went
out into the night, away from where their Brigade has been
since last September, they were carefully obeying instructions
to pull down all the blinds,
Their action symbolized the
pulling down of the curtain
at the close of the work and
play performance by the U.P.S.
Brigade on the stage of
Epsom.
A CHEERY FAREWELL.
Billetrix to Private leaving for Woodcote:
** Good-bye, Sir; and when you do go to the
Front, I shall look in the Casualty List for your
name every day.”’
The ‘‘ Pow-wow.’’]
CHAPTER V
CLIPSTONE AND SALISBURY
THE account of the Brigade’s departure from Epsom has been
given in the last chapter, and the laughable state of affairs
which resulted from the confusion of Clipston, Northamptonshire,
with Clipstone, Nottinghamshire, described. It was this latter
place, near Mansfield, that was the Brigade’s real destination,
and eventually it arrived there. The Clipstone Camp is fifteen
miles from Nottingham, and is pitched in a part of what is
known as the Ling Forest, about three miles from Mansfield
in the direction of Clipstone, between the Clipstone motor-track
and Newlands Farm.
Arriving at Edwinstowe, and marching thence some four
miles to the camp, the first contingent reached their huts about
7 am. and the stream continued well into the afternoon.
The first impressions of the camp were not exactly cheering.
In addition to the wretched weather, which was in itself suffi-
ciently depressing, the rough and unfinished condition of every
visible object seemed to promise, not only present discomfort,
but a vast amount of future work. ‘‘ Rumour hath it,” said
The Pow-wow, ‘that, having dropped the ‘U.P.S.’ we have
taken up ‘C.1.S.’ or ‘Camp Improvement Society’; and also
‘that we are the official Fatigue Party to the Army.’ ”
Nor did the tales of ‘the advance party, which had arrived
the previous Monday, tend to raise the spirits of the new-comers. —
Starvation seemed imminent for those lucky enough to escape
87
88 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S”
death by exposure. ‘‘ Have you any complaints to make about
the bedding?” asked the officer in The Pow-wow cartoon.
‘None, sir, except that it’s uneatable!” was the reply.
The camp was thus described in The Nottingham Guardian,
which seems to have constituted itself the chronicler of the
Brigade’s doings much in the same way as The Epsom Herald did
when the Brigade was at Epsom:
Although, to the outward eye, the big military camp at
Clipstone, near Mansfield, still presents a rough, unfinished ap-
pearance, the first batch of troops have now arrived. The
number to be stationed here is not known, even approximately,
but it will probably be nearer 30,000 than 20,000. Several
hundred huts have been erected, and others are still in the
first stages of construction, notwithstanding that the work has
been going on ever since the beginning of December. As yet
the camp is scarcely an inspiring sight. The wooden rectangular
structures, which differ from each other only in the matter of
size, are painted an inconspicuous grey, and the great piles of
timber, the toiling engines, the uneven ground, and the clang
of hammers suggest some great industrial undertaking rather
than the panoply of war. Even the lighting installation is not
complete, and candles are the chief form of illuminant. The
U.P.S. are anything but pleased with their changed enyiron-
ment. ... From this [Epsom] to the bleak uplands of Clip-
stone, where the skyline is only broken by pitheads, is not
alluring. They confess that they have been having the time
of their lives at Epsom, but they are all good “sports,” and
recognize that stern work is yet to be done.
The Brigade soon settled down in its new quarters, however,
none the worse for a little less comfort than it had been accus-
tomed to at Epsom. A large part of the time was occupied
in fatigue work of one kind or another, but plenty of real work
was done nevertheless. What spare time remained was spent
in Mansfield, which, after a short period of probationary exami-
nation, opened its hospitable arms and provided a most cordial
welcome.
iss
‘mosdy ‘preyexe Ai] s
‘dNVO HALOOGOOM LV SLOH AHL JO ANO AO YOIMALNI
[ Wakefield, Epsom.
: Sea
BUILDING A ROOF,
[Wake field, Epsom.
[89
CLIPSTONE AND SALISBURY 89
The following account of the Mayor’s welcome to the
Brigade is taken from The Nottingham Guardian of May 17,
1915:
Mansfield is suffering its military invasion gladly. Somehow
or other an impression has got abroad amongst the men of
the U.P.S. Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers now at the Clipstone
Camp that they are not welcome to the district, and it may be
this has arisen because no official greeting had been given to
them. Mansfield wishes, however, to dispel this idea at once,
and yesterday the Mayor (Ald. D. H. Maltby) did so in a
few words of warm welcome which he addressed to about a
couple of hundred men who were having tea in the comfortable
quarters of the Y.M.C.A. Hall in Church Lane. His Worship
said it gave him real pleasure, on behalf of the town, to extend
a cordial welcome to the Public Schools Brigade of the Fusiliers,
and the pleasure was all the greater because of something which
he heard the previous day, when it was said that some of the
Battalion had the impression that they were not welcome in
Mansfield. He wished immediately to disabuse their minds of
such a mistaken impression, and to assure them that they were
as welcome as the flowers in the spring, and he hoped their
stay in the town would be happy and pleasant. He was
speaking the other night to the Sherwood Foresters, and told
them that Mansfield was the nicest town in England; but in
the present company he must qualify that description a little
after what he had heard from them about Epsom. (Laughter.)
But Mansfield was a very nice, healthy town, and they would
be received very warmly by the inhabitants. The Y.M.C.A.
had done what they could to make their rooms pleasant and
attractive. The letters Y.M.C.A. not only represented the title
of the Association, but also stood for “You Must Come Again”
—(applause)—and he hoped they would often come to the hall
and make it their home.
A week later The Nottingham Guardian, anxious to find out
what the U.P.S. men really thought of Mansfield, very naturally
turned to the pages of the veracious Pow-wow. The following
extract from the issue of May 24 shows the result of their
researches :
12
90 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
[The ‘*‘ Pow-wow.”
ROMANCE. REALISM.
THE MULETEER.
If one is to judge from the current issue of their weekly
publication, The Pow-wow, the men of the U.P.S. have left their
hearts at Woodcote, their first military home at Epsom. But
even Woodcote was reviled in the early days when it was
“undisciplined and wild,’ and it was not until they reached
“the land of chaos,’ as Clipstone is rather unkindly called,
that the excellences of the Surrey quarters, with its trim gardens
gay with the first spring flowers, its many friends, and its close
proximity to London, were really appreciated.
Sunny Woodcote, home of bliss,
How your happy huts I miss!
sighs the camp poet, and he goes on in this melancholy remi-
niscent strain :
CLIPSTONE AND SALISBURY 91
You repaid us for our labours, for you grew supremely fair,
Till to gaze upon your beauties people flocked from here and there,
With the golf-links as a background, and the gardens all about,
You had many charms to wile us which we now must do without.
For you’re lost to us for ay, and we miss you ev’ry day,
In the sunshine of your presence would that we again could play.
The editor of The Pow-wow seems to be incorrigibly pessi-
mistic concerning his present surroundings. ‘“‘ What is the good
of any to-morrow that lands you in a place like Clipstone
Camp?” he asks. Rumour hath it in another column “ that
Clipstone is a dull place,” but that “one can always go down
a coal-mine”’—this in reference to the facilities given to the
U.P.S. to inspect the underground workings of the colliery.
The sad state of parts of the road near the camp is satirized
thus: “that the motorists of the Brigade have arranged re-
liability trials over the road to Mansfield.’ The town was
naturally curious to see what the Editor thought about it and
the people in print; but the cautious man does not commit
himself. ‘“‘ We know,” he says, ‘“‘ but shan’t tell, what Mansfield
thinks about us and what we think about Mansfield.”
Early in June the Brigade was inspected by Major-General
Drummond, for the second time. Hopes were again raised, and
rumour grew and flourished. But there was no result, and the
old, old question—When are we going out ? —soon reappeared.
The daily routine was enlivened, about this time, by the
heath-fires which broke out so often in the vicinity.
As soon as the alarm is heard [says The Pow-wow|—usually
the first or sixth time—hut corporals lead the men in prayer,
the object being either to induce the fire to spread towards the
camp or to soften the heart of Jupiter Pluvius! Meanwhile the
officers change into flannels and eventually the Battalions parade
under the respective B.S.M.’s.
Men are armed with rakes for separating the flames, and
shovels for digging them in, officers with complete sets of golf-
clubs, though only niblicks are necessary. . . . Communication
is kept up between the parade-ground and the one or two
individuals who have gone without orders to the seat of inflam-
mation, by means of signallers judiciously hidden in the smoke.
92 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
As soon as information arrives to the effect that nothing
further can be done, the Brigade is doubled off to see if it’s true.
Thus The Pow-wow—and more to the same effect.
The Mansfield Chronicle of June 10 says: “ The sportsmen
of the U.P.S. are thanking their lucky stars that, in coming to
Clipstone, they have dropped into clover. They never dreamed
that they would be able to have the use of such a first-class
sports-ground as that which is attached to the Forest Town
Institute.” Here we got a glimpse of the unofficial side of
camp life.
The weather during the whole of June and July was good;
fine and dry, but not really over hot. As a result, every oppor-
tunity —and there were many—was taken by the cricket and
tennis enthusiasts of enjoying their respective arts. Bathing,
too, was a great attraction for many, ‘and Vicars Water, the
pool just below the camp, was the scene of much innocent
enjoyment.
The inspection by Major-General Drummond and _ another
by Major-General Lawson served to put a new energy into the
general training, if they had no other result. In the absence
of any other Brigade, divisional training was of course im-
possible; but the Battalions did extensive attacks over the
moors and heaths at their disposal in preparation therefor, and
did really acquire some skill in their various duties. The
theoretical side was treated as well as the practical, the officers
giving lectures and talks in the evening on the afternoon’s
attacks.
We quote The Pow-wow once again:
“It was the Ups,” the Captain said,
““Who put the rest to rout ;
But just exactly how it was
I could not well make out.
But everybody said,” quoth he,
“That ’twas a famous victory.
CLIPSTONE AND SALISBURY 93
“Now are there any questions you
Would like to ask,’ he said.
“Tl do my best to answer them—
Or some one will instead—
That you may know as much as me
About this famous victory !
“The enemy were seen at noon
And driven back by one ;
Why did we stay till half-past three
Before the charge was done ?
Nay, that I cannot tell,’ said he,
“But ’twas a famous victory.”
Besides the manceuvres, good work was done at musketry
and bayonet-fighting, and a certain amount of firing practice
even, on a miniature range below the camp. Extensive excava-
tions some three miles from camp, at Rufford, did at least
show some semblance to a range; and the levelling of parade-
grounds and digging of trenches went on apace.
On Sunday, June 138, the camp was thrown open to the
public, and large crowds availed themselves of this opportunity
of gaining a closer view.
On the following Saturday another inspection took place,
this time by General Bruce Hamilton. Rumours flourished once
more—and once more the Brigade was doomed to disappointment.
On Friday, June 25, the first units of a new Brigade
arrived at Clipstone. The new-comers, the 99th Brigade, took
up their quarters alongside the U.P.S., or 98th Brigade, as they
now came to be called. The initials “ U.P.S.” had long been
a misnomer, and many had agitated for the substitution of the
title “98th Brigade.” With the arrival of the other parts
of the division this became easier, though the old name seemed
to cling in spite of its obvious inappropriateness.
The arrival of the 99th was quickly followed by that of
various other Battalions, and the camp soon held the greater
part of a division. Before the tale was complete, however,
94 THE HISTORY OF THE “ U.P.S.”
rumour got busy again, not altogether groundlessly; for on
August 8 the Brigade set out for its last camp in England—
Salisbury Plain. Letters of appreciation passed between General
Maude, the divisional commander, and the Mayor of Mansfield
expressing the regret of both soldiers and townsfolk at the
separation.
Here, too, we may perhaps be permitted to quote a letter
which appeared in The Pow-wow at a somewhat earlier date.
“Our Club” it is called, and we give it in full, for it expresses
so well the feelings of every man in the Brigade:
‘“*T have just partaken of a most cheering repast, a couple
of eggs, bread and butter, a cup of excellent coffee, and a
delightful little cake, all for the modest expenditure of sixpence.
At the present moment I am writing on paper, and with pen
and ink, all supplied (these for no expenditure at all) by the
same beneficent dispensation. Around me, at other comfortable
tables, a couple of dozen men are writing. In snug arm-chairs,
or at other tables, more work-worn Fusiliers are reading the
papers and magazines so generously provided. Farther away
are some half-dozen billiard-tables, where a game may be had
for nix, a tobacco and cigarette counter is at hand, and a post-
box stands beside it. The dusty wayfarer, who wants re-
freshing, finds all that is requisite to his needs with equal
convenience.
Now where am I? It isn’t wholly a local effort. The
same providence provided us with a refuge, a resort, and a
resting-place at Epsom. Of course it’s the Y.M. Theologically
speaking, I have no business here. Nor, probably, have many
of the others. Yet never once, either here or in our former
abode, has one single word designed to discover or alter my
beliefs been uttered or implied.
When I say not wholly local, I am leaving room for grati-
tude to the Mansfield ladies and gentlemen, who so unselfishly
devote their time and trouble to our welfare and happiness.
No café or hotel in the town can hold a candle to the prompt-
ness and obligingness of the service, or the quality and price
of the provisions.
We are apt to take kindness rather for granted. Neverthe-
CLIPSTONE AND SALISBURY 95
less, these devoted philanthropists may, I am _ confident, be
assured that, even if we don’t show it, we are grateful, and
that our acceptance of it all, as if we expected it, is the highest
unconscious compliment we could possibly pay.
(Signed) Fusiier.
The Brigade took up its duties at Salisbury with a new
enthusiasm somewhat akin to the old spirit of those far-off
first days at Epsom, Leatherhead, and Ashtead.
Pessimism was rife; but, after all, Salisbury is Salisbury!
No one could deny that! Comfortably housed in barracks, with
the specials—signallers, M.B.S., ete.—under canvas near by, work
proceeded rapidly. Firing on the ranges alternated with bayonet-
fighting and other essential forms of military training, and the
discomforts of bad food and unwelcome visitors were soon forgotten
in the expectation of approaching departure.
The months spent on Salisbury Plain linger in the memory
chiefly as a period of hard training, during which the division
was welded together, while individually the men were hardened
to conditions approximating to active service as far as possible.
There were days when they marched wearily, with much halting,
on a route which always seemed to circle round Sidbury Hill,
deployed, if they were unlucky, or rested cheerfully if the
higher command gave them the position of divisional reserve,
and returned in the evening to barracks. There were other
days when they did not march in at dusk, but bivouacked in
cold and wind-swept fields, to sleep uneasily and continue the
marching or mock-fighting in the grey light of dawn. More
utterly miserable than these were the days and nights spent
in the cold, chalk trench-system dug for training in the slopes
round Bedlam Buildings. These exercises were presumably in-
tended to accustom the men to active service conditions; if
so, they erred on the side of thoroughness. Members of the
Brigade have stated that they cannot remember any nights so
*uosdy ‘plPeyoayeA (L6
‘MALNIM NI HOUVIN ALNOU V
CLIPSTONE AND SALISBURY 97
[The ‘* Pow-wow.”
THE U.P.S. LANDSTURM.
to Everleigh, with tea or other refreshment at the ‘‘Crown,” was
deservedly popular, and there were many such pleasant villages
outside the radius within which civilians treated the men of
the Brigade as Kipling once indicated that peace-time rankers
are treated. Some one is reported to have said that even at
the end of 1915 some civilians still regarded the King’s uniform
as next-of-kin to the convict’s garb.
Towards the close came final leave, a glorious week away
from the Army, followed by farewell dinners in barracks and
all the business of mobilization. The men added to their
equipment, ammunition, bivouac ground-sheets, spare clothing,
and significant trifles such as pay-books and identification discs.
On the other hand, they gave up unnecessary luxuries such as
spare uniforms and boots. Even then the weight of the out-
fit seemed intolerable, even after the long training of marches
with pack and rifle.
Finally came the gloomy moment of departure. It was the
moment the U.P.S. men had once longed for, and even if their
keenness had neared the vanishing point in the long boredom
13
98 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
of training, spirits were high when the day of embarkation
arrived. They might even have left in the same exulting
enthusiasm of earlier divisions if the Lancers’ offer had been
accepted and their band had played them out. But such
simple pageantry was not to be. The U.P.S. Brigade marched
slowly out of barracks at midnight, silent, with even a single
cheer forbidden. Strange ending to fifteen months of prepara-
tion for the imminent test of war!
[The * Pow-wow.”
CHRISTMAS POST ORDERLY.
CHAPTER VI
THE DEPARTURE
For some time the varied harmonies of rumour had faded before
one dominant note. Egypt, Africa, Timbuctoo—all units in the
harmonic scheme of movement—had become merged in the
insistent beat of ‘‘ France.”
It was no longer a question of months, nor even of weeks.
At last it was possible to think in days, days full to the last
hour. Training was kept up as usual, but spare moments were
utilized for the changing of clothing and equipment and the
arrangement of the preliminaries to the great adventure.
At last THE DAy arrived. There was nothing unusual about
it. No flights of eagles startled the superstitious, as a wag put
it. There was nothing to foretell its end.
Late in the afternoon three privates might have been seen
motoring towards Pewsey in a ramshackle car. They were
going to celebrate their fourth farewell dinner. An old inn
was the scene of their celebration, and in the quiet parlour
before a great fire that leapt cheerfully at the black-throated
chimney they drank the same healths and made the same
vows that they had drunken and made three times before,
and the evening passed magically and swiftly, as such evenings
do. Jocularly they told the landlord that he must reserve the
room for them on the same day next week, and—singing lustily
—clambered into their old car, and made off through the frosty
night-air. All the way their voices sounded to the hum of
99
The ‘* Pow-wow.”
[
OUR LADY OF RUMOURS.
100
THE DEPARTURE 101
the engine, and the trees flung back snatches of old school
songs.
It was a memorable ride. As they neared the barracks
their songs grew wilder, until they realized, by the answering
clamour from window and balcony, that something was afoot.
““Where the ~—— have you been?” a gruff voice asked.
“You'd better get inside; only just in time, that’s all.”
The news was soon imparted. Karly in the evening, while
they had been sitting happily in mock celebration of ‘ The
Day,” orders had come through. The Brigade was to proceed
overseas. Parade would be at 2 a.m., and in the interval
barracks were to be cleared of stores.
Gradually the dust and din of the work died down, and
in room after room men sat at a last table playing cards or
discussing the possibilities of to-morrow. Time fled quickly,
and the boisterous and the quiet alike were soon shouldering
packs and rifles ready for parade.
It was a dark night and cold, with a slight mist; and as
the men passed out of the circle of lights towards the barrack
square, they seemed to fade into the blackness, shadows among
the shadows. There they were, the men who had sprung to
answer the call at the end of August 1914. It was now No-
vember 1915. They were a jolly crowd. ‘Good luck to
them all, good luck, and a safe return.”
To France, now they are off. It’s nothing like what they
expected, nothing like what they hoped it would be, and nothing
like what it ought to have been. They should have gone as
they had seen others go, with music and laughter and cheers ;
but, instead, they crept out of barracks at midnight silently
and secretly. The order was, no talking, no singing, no smoking.
No one felt like a hero; the feeling was more like being one
of a band of criminals. There was a good deal of whispered
resentment running through the ranks as the men_ trudged
102 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
along the road to Ludgershall (they didn’t have the luck to
go from the nearest station), but it died down and depression
seemed to be on every one.
They did have a “send off,” though. During a short halt
in a street in Ludgershall a window of a house, close to where
one of the platoons was standing, was suddenly opened and a
woman’s voice was heard: ‘Are you the Fussies?” “ Yes,”
said some one in a hoarse whisper. ‘‘ Good-bye and good luck,”
came the answer. ‘Stop that talking,” snapped out some
bad-tempered officer or N.C.O. The men moved on again. That
voice had cheered them a good deal, and those in front heard it
greeting the men behind as they came abreast of the window.
The station, the train, all are aboard, and at last the train
moves off. Spirits are once more as they had always been
in the U.P.S.—high, very high. The men sang and smoked and
slept. That is, they slept until the cold awakened them, then
made tea with their “ Tommy’s Cookers.”
With every yard nearer to France spirits arose. The girls
at who gave the men tea and sandwiches, the women and
children at Folkestone who cheered them as the train ran past
their houses to the quay, and the excitement of embarking on
the troop-ship soon made them forget their previous gloom.
The passage across the Straits was immensely enjoyed by all
on deck. The destroyer and the airships provided novelties
enough for any one. Some of the men below decks did not
altogether enjoy the crossing, but the discomfort was not for long.
France is sighted. The destroyer leaves the transport. At
last, Calais, France! the front! No, not yet—hours in an
uncomfortable train going back to Boulogne. Back, away from
the fighting, that didn’t suit the men; but then, were they
not the U.P.S.? Didn’t the authorities always do the wrong
thing? Of course.
However, here they were at Boulogne, marching through
THE DEPARTURE 103
the streets, up a hill to a rest-camp. They had a good recep-
tion from the French people, and especially from the children,
who ran beside the men and held their hands and chatted
incessantly, their chief conversation being “biscuit, souvenir.”
So the U.P.S. arrived at the rest-camp near the observatory.
The rest part of it was, what they soon learned to call ‘‘ na-pooh.”’
The next day they did innumerable parades, and a terrible
route-march. “I think that march,” said one of them, ‘* was
the hardest piece of work we had done, or ever did.” That
night there was a heavy fall of snow, which made a mess of
things. It melted rapidly, and the men got fairly wet packing
up the next morning, which they had to do in the open, as
there is hardly room in a bell-tent for ten or a dozen men to
move about freely. They were off by about eight o’clock, and
ran to the station. It was not a march by any means. There
was a horrible road to traverse, simply a river of mud, and
by the time the station was in sight the men were quite wet
with perspiration, and then, of course, had to wait about an
hour and a half for the train. The real British Army way.
They were glad when the train of horse-trucks arrived, glad
to get into them. They were more glad to leave them and
tumble out into the darkness and the rain, which was now
falling steadily. Think of it, the whole of a day in a horse-
box, forty-two in one box. Will they ever forget the legend,
“8 chevaux, 42 hommes” ?
Then billets in stables and barns at Thiennes. The guns
could be heard now, and queer flickerings in the sky could be
seen. Strange stories of soldiers and fighting were told by
the estaminet keepers. All very vague and unreliable.
Another day’s march and more billets, as before. Then
another day’s march and the barracks in Bethune—a dirty
hole, with part of the roof removed by a German shell. The
U.P.S. were really in touch with the war now. A large part
104 THE HISTORY OF THE “ U.P.S.”
of the town was already in ruins, and shells were sent fairly
regularly, apparently as a sort of greeting.
On again. Right into the trenches this time. Those eight
kilométres seemed absurdly short ones, and still all were keen
to be in the fighting. This was what they had joined the Army
for. This was what they had done all those attacks in Surrey
for. They were right wp. It was strange and weird, not a bit
as they expected it. What about Headley Heath now? Why,
it wasn’t much like Bedlam trenches even.
It takes a few hours for one to realize that there are some
men over that pile of sandbags who are trying to kill you.
The realization does come though, first through the graves of
the unknown soldiers, and later by losing a comrade. The
dreadful, dull monotony of war when there is nothing doing.
The same sandbags and mud, the same ping and whizz.
The rest has been described often enough. Some of the
description is a mere feat of imagination, and, as the truth is
never readable, the story may as well end _ here.
[The “ Pow-wow.”
“DONE IN!”
CENTRE.
CAPTAIN HICKLEY AND LIEUTENANT ZIEGLER IN THE
D COMPANY, 20TH BATTALION, U.P.S.
Wakefield, Epsom,
104]
VOLUME 1.
MOS. 1-20,
THE COVER OF THE <“ POW-WOW.”
Designed by Mr. H. C. Mumby of the U.P.S. ©
[105
CHAPTER VII
“THE POW-wow ”’
WE have reserved for the end of this little book some account
of The Pow-wow, the unofficial magazine of the Brigade, to which
frequent reference has been made in the foregoing pages. It
was edited by Private (now Lieut.) Hurry of the 20th Battalion.
Its general character is fairly obvious from the numerous extracts
and illustrations from it reproduced throughout this book. The
following extracts from the Prefaces to the bound volumes,
Nos. 1-20, and Nos. 21-38, will supply a key to the authors
and artists:
The signatures of Ptes. Cundall and Stoneley are familiar
to all our readers, Their cartoons have been a source of mirth
to every one. We cannot sufficiently thank them for their
unflagging devotion. Their timely arrival with drawings has
saved many a bulging line. Readers may remember the tragic
disappearances with commissions of Clark and Fyfe, and the
despondency of the Editor on that account. They will recall
his last despairing efforts to write the whole thing himself and
his final acknowledgment of failure. It was this that aroused
some of the dark horses in Epsom, and with their aid, both as
contributors and as editorial assistants, we were able to resume.
It is time that their names were associated with their noms-de-
plume. ‘*Twopence’’—who should now be ‘24d.’’—the perpe-
trator of every variety of verse and putrid prose, is known to
his friends as Green, to the military authorities as Pte. G. M.
Green. He is in the 19th Battalion. ‘‘ El Sind,” seer and man
of the world, who writes as easily in the language of Moses
as in his own and on subjects suitable for either, is Private
14 105
106 THE HISTORY (OF THEY SUrrs:.
D. L. Perry, a signaller in the 20th Battalion. ‘“ Raya,” whose
gift for composing the most perfect verse and concluding it
with some delightful bathos is unrivalled, is a private in the
20th also, Raymond Walter by name. H. C. Mumby, whose
drawings in the later numbers have interested and delighted
every one, has put us still further in his debt by designing the
cover for us.
[And again]... others contributed occasionally, ‘‘ Pythian ”’
amongst them. ‘‘Sindbad the Sailor”? is one Hume, a corporal.
. . . Representatives of the canine species will be sorry to hear
that “‘ Bow-wow” is, after all, a human being, Clements by
name and a private in the same Battalion as Green. There is
little to add. Our last number contains our reasons for con-
signing The Pow-wow to the grave. Regrets are out of place
in a preface, so we will conclude with the hope that:
““When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,”
the memories that it will arouse will be not only of dreary
days, of interminable fatigues; for, in spite of everything, was
there ever such a gallant company ?
That The Pow-wow passed through some critical times is
shown by the following extract from one of the earlier numbers:
As far as the Editor can see, this will be the last number
of The Pow-wow. He is fed up. Apart from the aid of one
or two heroic souls in ——, he has had practically no assist-
ance. He is certainly flattered by the non-arrival of copy, as
he infers that his co-privates consider him equal to the task
of doing the whole thing himself.
This is the episode to which allusion is made in the Preface
quoted above. The decision to conclude The Pow-wow was ex-
pressed in the last number (No. 88) as follows:
With this issue The Pow-wow ceases to be. To many, no
doubt, the news will be in the nature of a surprise; but to
those who are aware of the fact that the Editor may be trans-
ferred to some less energetic sphere at short notice, the result
“THE POW-WOW ” 107
of a motor accident, which will keep him temporarily out of
active service, and that “El Sind” has gone to make munitions,
it will merely occur that the inevitable has happened. At the
same time, it would be as well to state that this step has been
under consideration for some time past. It has gradually been
forced upon us that we have passed the zenith, and are now
to a great extent repeating ourselves. Life which was all fresh
up to a certain point latterly has had little new to offer to the
tired scribe. The daily round, with its conventions both of
behaviour and humour, has lost its original charm from our
standpoint, and each week finds us less ready to express our
views, be they genuine or satirical.
Parodies naturally occupied a great deal of the space devoted
to verse in The Pow-wow. We reproduce some of the most typical
specimens here. Omar Khayydém has inspired many a parody, and
‘“*Sindbad the Sailor”? succeeded in skilfully adapting some of his
best-known lines to the life of the U.P.S.
OMAR AT WOODCOTE
Awake! the blatant Bugle—for our sins—
From far and near with loud insistence dins.
Reveille sounds, and with its strident Note
Another Day of Agony begins.
Dreaming, when Dawn’s Left Hand was in the sky
I heard the Corporal’s repeated Cry
“ Awake! ye Beggars! Get a move on there
Slowly I rose and rubbed a sleepy Eye.
1?
I sometimes think that never looks so sweet
My Bed as when, first standing on my Feet,
I seek to count how many Hours must pass
Ere I again that pleasant Couch shall greet.
A little later, lo! I stood before
The Cook House shouting, ‘“‘ Open now the door!
You know we come not hither of our Choice
Nor, having come, would wait an Hour or more!”
Mess Orderlies are we, a Band forlorn
Seeking our Food upon a wintry Morn,
Some chemical Concoction known as Tea
And sundry Morsels of bewhiskered Brawn.
108 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.PS.”
Then on the cold bleak Downs do we parade
In Leather Harness girt, with sorrow weighed,
Wishing that we had never left our Homes,
Nor in the Quest of phantom Glory strayed.
The Squad no Question makes of Ayes or Noes,
But Right or Left, as Shouts the Sergeant, goes,
For he, by Virtue of the stripes he wears
He knows about it all, or thinks he knows!
Oh! leave the Wise to wrangle, and with me
The Question of our Destiny let be !
And in some corner of the Pow-wow’s Page
Make Game of that which makes as much of thee!
Some to the Pyramids have raised their Eyes,
Others declare that France shall be our Prize,
Some speak of Aldershot.—This much is Truth,
““We are at Woodcote ’’—and—the Rest is Lies!
Oh! Mud of my Delight that knows no wane,
My Boots are with thy Foulness clogged again ;
May Allah haste the Day when I shall scan,
Those boots for Traces of thy clay, in vain!
And You who follow after, when you pass
Through Woodcote Mud in search of Woodcote Grass
And, failing, drown your Grief in the Canteen,
Remember Us !—and drain another Glass.
SINDBAD THE SAILOR,
OMAR ON NIGHT-OPS
Lo! the new week, reviving old desires,
To Night-Ops now the G.O.C. aspires,
And twice two thousand men obey his call,
Men who have dug the sand and put out fires.
And, as the change from Day to Night was made,
Behold us all assembled on Parade,
With Harness and with heavy Packs begirt,
Take heed! It is the Ninety-eighth Brigade.
Ah! come with old Khayydm, and leave all hope
Of sleep behind ; and through the forest grope,
Collide with wire fences and assail
The thousand obstacles within thy scope.
“THE POW-WOwW ”
O thou who didst with rabbit-hole and snag
Infest the path o’er which my feet I drag,
Thou wilt not my profanity condemn,
Nor blame me if at last my spirits flag.
One instant’s halt among the hours of haste,
And from my water-bottle one swift taste,
And lo! my Company has passed away,
And I am left alone within the waste.
Platoon of my delight, it is with pain
That I discover thou art lost again.
How oft hereafter shall my Sergeant look
Through that self-same Platoon for me—in vain.
Could I my chosen Destiny arrange
Myself into a Scout I straight would change.
I have but lost myself to-night, while they
Can lose whole Companies, nor think it strange.
Still stumbling on the road I deemed the best,
Platoons galore I met with on my quest,
Some to the Northward bound, some to the South,
Some to the East and others to the West.
And as each passed, in whispers I inquired,
““Who are ye, O my friends ?”’ But soon I tired ;
** Highteenth’”’ and ‘‘ Nineteenth,” aye, and “‘ Twenty-first,”
But not the one Battalion I desired.
At last, in sorrow and in weariness
My failure I was tempted to confess,
When, lo! I heard the Rattle’s strident sound,
And knew that I was nigh the M.G.S.
They who, for reasons which I may not know,
Take Rattles with them wheresoe’er they go,
Conceal themselves with cunning and with skill,
And with loud noises seek to awe their foe—
With them I rested for a little while,
And with them marched for many a weary mile,
Until at last I came unto my hut,
My feet in blisters and my temper vile.
SINDBAD THE SAILOR.
109
110 THE HISTORY OF THE “ U.P.S.”
The “Bridge of Sighs” gave ‘* Twopence” the idea, skilfully
worked out, of the following :
EWELL-TIED
1914
(Witn ApoLtoaies to Tom Hoop)
OnE more unfortunate,
Bored unto tears—
Leave, though importunate,
Only New Year’s !
Alas! for the rarity
Of Christian charity
Under the sun !
At home all the slackers
Have flappers and crackers—
Heroes have none !
Long ere the sun rise
On Christmas morning,
Must we each one rise,
His feather bed scorning.
Then off to Woldingham,
Duty upholding ’em,
Big men and small men
All overflowing
With happiness, showing
Good-will to all men.
In we plunge boldly,
No matter how coldly
The liquid mud drenches,
Down in the stink of it
(Just as they meant us to).
Picture it, think of it,
Lave in it, drink of it,
You who have sent us to
Dig in the trenches.
The bleak wind and rain
Make us tremble and shiver,
And the wait for the train
Gives us chill on the liver—
“THE POW-WOW ” 111
Dreadfully staring
Through muddy impurity,
Hopelessly swearing
That we shall be wearing
The mud through futurity.
Look not disdainfully ;
Think how we painfully
Laboured and cursed—
Not of the stains of us,
All that remains of us
Now is A Turrst.
TWOPENCE.
Such varied sources as Shakespeare, Longfellow, and W. S.
Gilbert were equally skilfully drawn upon :
PrRIvATE X, where are you roaming ?
Hide a while! the picquet’s coming,
That can see both high and low.
Crawl no further, try retreating ;
Journeys end in sentries meeting—
Every wise man’s son doth know.
Where’s your pass? It’s that they’re after ;
This is not a time for laughter ;
What’s to come is still unsure.
Tell your lies then, good and plenty—
Do not mention Sweet and Twenty,
C.B. you cannot endure.
A PSALM OF LIFE
(REVISED VERSION)
TELL me not in mournful numbers
That to France we ne’er shall roam,
But with nought to mar our slumbers,
Make the Huts our only home.
We were keen! And we were earnest !
(Brimming are our bitter cups !)
‘““Mud thou art, to mud returnest,”
Is the motto of the Ups.
Not enjoyment and not sorrow
Is our destined end and way,
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us where we are to-day.
112 THE HISTORY OF THE “U-PS.”
War may end and Peace, returning,
Smile upon the Empire soon ;
Smile to see the Ups still learning
“On the left”? to “‘Form Platoon.”
At the Front our Brothers perish,
High their courage and sublime. =
Here no hopes we dare to cherish—
““U.P.S. Brigade, Mark Time!”
Peace will come and surely find us
Doing as we do to-day,
And, disbanded, leave behind us
Footprints in the Woodcote clay.
SINDBAD THE SAILOR.
In the Spreagle Saloon a profane Fusilier
Shrieked, ‘‘ Censored, O Censored, O Censored !”
And I said to him, ‘‘ Why are you hanging round here
Shrieking, ‘Censored, O Censored, O Censored’ ?
Is it weakness of intellect, Tommy,” I cried,
‘Or a drop too much Scotch in your little inside ?”
With a scowl on his juvenile face he replied,
“Be Censored, you Censored old Censored !”
He grew purple, and gasped to the ceiling and floor, .
** Deleted, Deleted, Deleted ! ”’
And I thought he’d explode as he bellowed once more,
“Deleted, Deleted, Deleted ! ”
He raged and he raved as he thought once again
Of the flapper at Wimbledon waiting in vain,
And he prayed that the picquets who guarded the train
Be ‘“ Deleted, Deleted, Deleted !”’
(‘‘ Titwillow ’—The Mikado)
TWOPENCE.
“‘C, H.” happily parodied sonnets of Milton and Wordsworth :
MANGLED MASTERPIECES FROM POPULAR POETS
Il. MILTON
A MESS ORDERLY ON HIS HUNGER
WHEN I consider how my time is spent
Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
In cleaning buttons that I cannot hide,
Or posted as a sentry with intent
To serve thereby my Colonel, and present
My arms to him, lest he returning chide—
ee ee
te aetna
CAMP,
WOODCOTE
AT
NURSING STAFF
112)
swosdg ‘peyote A) (€1L
‘NOIIVLLVd LSI@) AHL AO ANVA
LED LLL
“* Twopence
15
“THE POW-WOW ”
Doth he exact hard labour, food denied ?
I fondly ask :—But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies: Who doth not feed
Hither in Camp or Epsom—he had best
Bear his mild yoke or alter his estate,
Setting his purpose to assuage his need
For drink and victuals—shoving with the rest—
They are not served who only stand and wait.
WORDSWORTH
THE INNER VISION
Most sweet it is with unuplifted eyes
To pace the ground, as if one were alone,
Not pent within a column to surmise
That sweetness lurks within the raucous tone
Of Sergeant-Major, to endue the scene,
The dusty roadway, and the swearing men,
With meditative beauty, royal mien,
Or, fancying those peaceful times again
When life was fragrant, thought both free and deft
At conjuring the muses, to aspire
To win again the faculties bereft
Of which no human poet may inspire
His feeble words or tune his little lyre
. .. And then to hear the Corporal shouting ‘‘ Lerr!”
29
also essayed the sonnet form :
TO MY ENTRENCHING TOOL
W2aaATt is there sweeter when the amorous Moon,
In cloud-fleck weeds or naked splendour dight,
With queenly largesse pours her argent light
Upon an earth that gladdens at the boon,
Or when the clouds, with silent-stepping shoon,
Have draped their cloakes adown the dome of night
Till e’en the stars are curtained from our sight—
Oh what could then be sweeter than to spoon ?
Rather than clasp in these my martial arms
The shapely softness of a Houri’s charms
On garden-sward of Paradise, than win
The Argive Helen for my bride to be:
Rather at Epsom would I spoon with thee—
Spoon up the Common earth and dig me in!
TWOPENCE.
113
114 THE HISTORY OF THE ‘“ U.P.S.”
It was inevitable that the Alphabet rhyme should be adapted
to the U.P.S. It is perhaps a trivial form of verse, and so the author
of the following U.P.S. Alphabet modestly remains anonymous :
U.P.S. ALPHABET
A is an Adjutant, booted and spurred,
B_ the Battalion that moves at his word,
C is a Company (ours takes the cake),
D is the Damning that keeps it awake,
E is an Elegant Extract of rank,
F is a File (which is frequently blank),
G is a Gun—I beg pardon, a rifle,
H stands for “‘Hipe”’ (this may vary a trifle),
I is Instructions for night-ops. again,
J is our Joy when it comes on to rain,
K is the “‘ Kultur” we’re out to suppress,
Lis the Liar whose name you can guess,
M is the Mortal who moves to command,
N is the Nut that he was beforehand,
O is an Officer—hark to his shout—
P the Platoon that he —— about.
Q is the Query, ‘‘ What does the man mean ?”’
R the Reply, “That remains to be seen.”
S is a Sentry-group out in a wood,
T is the Toddy they’d get if they could.
U_ stands for Uniforms, and I presume
V for the Various shapes they assume
W’s our Weapons (we've only a few),
X the Xtent of the damage they’ll do.
Y is our Yearning to join in the fray, and
Z is our Zest which will carry the day.
Many drinking songs naturally appeared in the pages of The
Pow-wow. The following by “C. H.,” the Editor, has the right
swing in it:
DRINKING SONG
Ox bring not here your barley beer
Or alderberry wine.
Black-currant juice will not induce
Forgetfulness, nor make a truce
*Twixt poet and divine ;
But hail, all hail
To jolly old ale,
“THE POW-WOW ” 115
LUTE Lb, —2 sot
rey | - a
‘se
Se
Nd:
’
i
(AQRNS
RAGE
(The ‘*‘ Pow-wow.”’
HOW IT’S DONE. THE EDITOR AS OUR ARTIST SEES HIM.
Nutmeg, cinnamon, dark or pale,
Heady and strong as a North-East gale,
Jolly old ale—that’s mine.
Let Jack and Jill go up the hill; for me the warm saloon,
A snug retreat where friends may meet,
While time flits by in the busy street,
Where the present is lost and the Future’s sweet
For an hour that goes too soon.
So bring not here your barley beer
Or alderberry wine.
Black-currant juice will not induce
Forgetfulness, nor make a truce
*Twixt poet and divine ;
But hail, all hail,
To jolly old ale,
116
THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
Nutmeg, cinnamon, dark or pale,
Heady and strong as a North-East gale,
Jolly old ale—that’s mine.
Let others prate of human fate ; for me the hours that pass
Are sad or gay; and who’s to say
Where we go when it’s time to pay?
What does it matter? We live to-day—
Then fill another glass.
But bring not here your barley beer
Or alderberry wine.
Black-currant juice will not induce
Forgetfulness, nor make a truce
’*Twixt poet and divine.
But hail, all hail
To jolly old ale,
Nutmeg, cinnamon, dark or pale,
Heady and strong as a North-East gale—
Jolly old ale—THAT’S MINE.
This is naturally followed by the inevitable toast :
A TOAST
HeEre’s to the Major of bashful fifteen,
Now to the Private of thirty,
Here’s to the Sub., who’s amazingly keen,
And here’s to the Sergeant who’s shirty.
Let the toast pass, drink it ;—alas,
A swaddy has every excuse for the glass!
Here’s to the Captain, whose figure we prize ;
Now to another with none, sir;
Here’s to a voice, which was made, we surmise,
Chiefly for calling out “‘’Shun,”’ sir.
Let the toast pass, drink it ;—alas,
A swaddy has every excuse for the glass!
Here’s to the N.C.O., mildly profane,
Now to the man he addresses ;
Here’s to the O.C., whose orders are vain,
And here’s to the hero who guesses.
For, let him be ranker or nigh to the top,
Young or ancient, I care not a feather,
Come fill up with whisky, or bitter, or pop,
And e’en let us toast ’em together.
“THE POW-WOW ”
117
From this we pass on to the following, also by “C. H.”:
TO AN OFFICER
Sweet, be not proud of broidered stars
That sparkle in between the bars
Upon your cuff, nor proud to see
All men your captives, you yet free ;
Nor be you proud that you can shout
The Lord knows why or what about,
Whenas the Sam Browne that you wear—
If oiled and treated with due care—
Will last beyond the present war,
Or longer than you'll need it for.
** Raya,” too, has his dig at the aspirant to rank:
BALLADE
Ox! he had visions bright and gay
Of rising to a Brigadier
With stars and ¢rowns in rich array
Emblazoned there and shining here,
And how the camp would shake with fear
Whene’er he deigned to walk that way ;
T faith a right renowned career !
A picnic, and a holiday !
Alas, how visions disappear
And leave again the light of day!
For he’s still messing over here
Removing sods and carting clay ;
He uses words I mustn’t say,
And mopes until the night is near,
And then, to scare the past away,
He soaks his sordid self in beer.
ENVOI
O Sergeant! let him slink away
And shed the melancholy tear,
For he is still, alack-a-day !
A simple-minded Fusilier.
RAYA.
118 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
Descriptions of camp life were naturally numerous, and the
following by “‘C. H.” and by “‘ Lance-Private”’ are typical :
EPHEMERA
THOSE days are past when August, loudly calling,
Addressed the weary wight from many a hoarding,
Reminding him that city life was palling,
That houses of the genus known as “ boarding ”’
Awaited him, that nerves required a tonic,
That all complaints were curable—even the chronic.
Those days are past when leaving in his newest—
The latest thing—and looking very dapper,
He booked (return) to where the skies are bluest,
And numerous the necessary flapper,
And spent his time in harmless dissipation,
Nor feared from Zeppelins a fatal visitation.
Or, puffing placidly along to Dover,
On alien soil he hoped to spend his leisure—
Although perhaps the actual crossing over
Was not included in the scheme of pleasure,
But more regarded as some dire Chimera
That guarded the approaches to the Riviera.
Or, yet again, case-hardened to the crossing,
He stood him in the bow, head bare, and scanned
The dim horizon, joying in the tossing,
And looking forward to the promised land,
He viewed his climbs and hoped this year the going
Would be as good as last, and that it wasn’t snowing.
Those days are past, and now, the sport of Sirius,
He plods in dusty ways within a column,
Unkempt and weary and with thirst delirious,
With sober mien and thoughts both sad and solemn,
For he has lately heard the Gods are fain
To give him holiday—and August will be spent
On Salisbury Plain !
MISERE
TurRIcE weekly at six in the morning,
And long ere the rise of the sun,
We leap from our bed and descend to get fed ;
And hasty ablutions, or none.
Sandwich-laden, we speed through the darkness,
Inhaling the mist and the murk ;
For our sportive O.C.’s seem to do as they please,
While their companies do all the work.
“THE POW-WOW ” 119
With our coats neatly slung as per orders,
While the rain descends damply in sheets,
We stand limply at ease, and we freeze and we sneeze
And our Non.-Coms. do noncomly feats,
They count us, and twist us, and turn us,
And divide us in sections of ten....
We begin to entrain, then they notice the rain,
And it’s back to our billets again.
Or else, if the weather’s propitious,
And the engine has not been mislaid,
We proceed to embark, and, some time before dark,
Reach the place where the trenches are made.
Oh then we bedaub and besmear us
And wallow in oceans of clay,
While our officers tell us we’re very fine fellows,
But wisely keep out of the way.
Still, levity lightens our labours,
There is often a humorous side,
#.g., when a man with a waist of large span,
Tries to work in a trench two feet wide,
There is mirth in the midst of our moiling,
And much that were better unsaid,
I.e., the remarks of Adolphus P. Sparks,
When a friend dropped a pick on his head.
But we work for our King and our Country,
Also for our Country and King
(It’s padding, I know, but ideas will not flow,
And the words have a sort of a swing) ;
Henceforth we live under a shadow,
The fear lest, in case of a raid,
*Mid the general rout, they should order us out,
To fight in the trenches we’ve made !
LANCE-PRIVATE.
“C, H.” bids farewell to Epsom, Ashtead, and Leatherhead,
and bewails the conditions of life in Clipstone :
TO EPSOM, ASHTEAD, AND LEATHERHEAD
Come, sing with me
To the peerless three,
Goddesses blithe and gay.
Come, sing with me
To the trinity,
Hallowed and far away,
120
THE HISTORY OF THE “ U.P.S.”
Where earth is lovely and hearts are kind—
As all hearts are that we leave behind—
Where life runs smoothly and Love is blind—
As Love must ever be.
Come, sing with me
No threnody
Sighed to a northern moon ;
But merrilie
To the South Countrie—
Memory calls the tune—
Of woody hillocks and windy downs
Of lonely commons and little towns
Where nature seldom, if ever, frowns—
Happier far than we.
Come, sing with me
Right rousingly—
Barman, a stoup of ale.
Good luck, drink we
To the peerless three,
And may they never fail
To breed fine lasses and brew good beer
(Though the latter is quite as good up here).
Fill up, fill up—with a mighty cheer.
Here’s to the trinity.
Come, sing with me,
Though far we be
Up in the chilly North.
Some day will see
Us fair and free
Sallying gaily forth,
Perchance in mufti—who knows, and when ?—
Back from the ranks, acquitted men,
Back to the sunny South again,
Back to the peerless three.
examples will show:
SPRING
SPRING came to me with pretty words
With pretty words, and said:
““Tt’s fine to-day, and I’m called May,
And you're a khaki Tommy, eh ?
Oh! Tom, the winter’s dead! ”
?
C.
H.
Nor was there a lack of more serious verse, as the following
“THE POW-WOW ”
Indeed, indeed! how dull was life,
Was life of yesterday !—
I wandered down the little town
With eyes of blue and cheeks of brown ;
We wandered right away... .
Ah me! How very, very fleet,
How fleet are life and joy!
How short a thing is May, and Spring,
How soon the bell of doom may ring
For Maid and Khaki Boy!
And some sonnets:
LAST YEAR
Lone in a valley rich in alpine flow’rs
Whose fervent beauty tinctured all the scene—
The sombrous pines, the crags, the paler green
Of higher slopes—until the snowy tow’rs,
Luring the soul to spend unheeding hours
Amid their fastness, silent and serene,
Blotted out colour with their dazzling sheen ;
I lay and dreamed how little that is ours
Is worth a thought when flow’r and rock and snow—
All humble things—can awe us into fear
Of our own littleness until we grow
Less than the earth we tread, until we hear
Whispers of truths too vast for mortal ear
And mysteries that we can never know.
THIS YEAR
Now when those mountains echo to the sound
Of human thunder—mortal mimicry
Of their own sudden vaprous gunnery—
When flow’rs are trampled on contested ground,
And trees are split, and nature’s beauty bound
A slave in manacles to devilry,
While smoke enwreathes the ghastly revelry
Of man and man that ends within a mound
Of piteous earth; I wait with others here
To join the Dance Macabre whose evil tune
Waltzes within the blood till all the dear
Dead dreams are gone, the soul is out of swoon.
Two thousand years slip back, and, standing clear,
Self-confident, I pray the day be soon.
16
Raya.
121
122 THE HISTORY OF THE “ U.P.S.”
ON CLARENDON HILL
Trew thousand merry soldiers laugh below,
And sing and play and chat; a fretting train
Puffs round the hillside Londonwards again.
Often the strident evening bugles blow ;
The lights wink busily, and come and go
Like flashing images in the turbulent brain :
And once I see a tardy aeroplane
Fly homewards, whirring sharply, flying low:
And I lie here and marvel at the earth,
And all its dark strange beauty, and its pain,
And doubt, if I should never see again
This August moon that’s creeping into view,
Whether a valiant death in France is worth
The loss of Youth, and Love, and Beauty too ?
QUINAPALUS.
A DEATH
Nor in the shining armour of the Past
Upon some charger, with a tilted lance,
To fall beside the road of high romance
For some fair maiden’s honour overcast ;
Nor yet, when shrilly blows the summoning blast,
Plunging upon the crest of some advance,
Where all the plumes of English knighthood dance,
To win a grave upon the field at last ;
Not thus to die! But in the cold half-light,
When the damp mist divides the day and night,
To stagger suddenly, stung, stupid, torn ;
And, while the light comes lifelessly and grey,
To lie all bloodied in the common clay
With stiffened limbs and the sad dead face drawn.
Raya.
“Raya” was killed in action.
Examples of the prose of The Pow-wow are more difficult to give.
The subject-matter is generally more ephemeral and the allusions
more obscure when read out of the context of daily events. The
following examples of widely different types may suffice :
“THE POW-WOW ” 123
AN HILAIRIOUS REVIEW
WITH NECESSARY APOLOGIES
Tuts week I propose to discuss the question of the future movements
of the U.P.S. from a different standpoint. Last week I endeavoured
to prove that the move to barracks, some of which bear the name of
“* Jellalabad,” may or may not be of significance. A correspondent
writes to suggest that the change of address may have been made in
order to provide a test of sobriety for men returning from leave,
but his suggestion may be dismissed without comment save that,
as no one ever thinks of trying to pronounce the word by day, still
less would they seek to do so by night.
From the great number of letters I have received from maiden
aunts and sister Susies, it would appear that I have driven some
of them into a complete stoppage of knitting operations by reason
of my quotation from another military genius (though, of course, in
a far less complex age), viz., that ‘“‘ An Army marches on its stomach.”’
Let us examine this proposition a little closer. My long experi-
ence in military matters leads me to conclude that either (a) the
genius was totally mistaken; (b) he was speaking figuratively; or
(c) that by some misapprehension the word “ belly ’” was substituted
for ‘ Belloc.” Any of these conclusions may be correct, but, again
relying on my technical knowledge, I dismiss (a) and (b) in favour
of (c). The manufacture of socks may, therefore, proceed unhindered.
Now let me deal with the subject of my article. I hope to show to
the satisfaction of my readers that either (x) the U.P.S. are destined
for active service or (y) they are not.
Another correspondent who signs himself ‘“‘ Where are the
Nine?” is of opinion that as only one man in ten has as yet been
issued a short rifle, (7) may be ruled out of discussion. The fallacy
of his suggestion will be at once apparent to all who have followed
my various articles. Nearly ten months ago I suggested that the
Allies might well come to some understanding with the other belli-
gerent Powers whereby the monotony of another winter’s campaign
of stationary trench warfare might be obviated. This could be done
altogether, I find, in 6,997 ways. If, however, my correspondent
is accurate in his statement, it would seem that the actual agree-
ment arrived at is that only one man in ten is to be armed. Each
side would thus be called upon to discover and fire at the man
holding the rifle at any particular moment. Such an arrangement,
124 THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
besides proving ex-
citing for the men,
would provide un-
limited opportunity
for ingenuity on the
part of the officers in
keeping the rifle con-
stantly on the move.
As a matter of fact, a
diagram illustrating
how the rifle could
change hands 13,777
times in an hour and
a half, and still leave
ample margin for a
good sleep for the
N.C.O.’s, has unfor-
tunately gone to the
printers with my ar- RE sie
ticle on ‘‘ Why Willie [The “ Pow-wow.”
will one day Wonder,” | WE HAVE RECEIVED THE ABOVE FROM AN UNKNOWN
4 LADY READER HAILING FROM BRISTOL. WE
for the Sunday Sketchy POSITIVELY BLUSH.
Marvel.
To the thoughtful student of affairs it will be obvious that I have
proved conclusively that either (~) or (y) must be right, and there
I leave it.
I hope to deal with the moral aspect of the situation next week
from still another standpoint (there are, to the military mind, several
thousand standpoints); but, as my article for Earth and Sky will have
to be rewritten in the light of important information I have received
from a friend of a late butler to the divorced husband of an Austrian
Countess, I cannot deal with the moral issue for a few days.
Bow-wow.
THE LAST INSPECTION
Ir was a curious coincidence that the three greatest events in history
should occur on three successive days.
On Wednesday the U.P.S. Brigade was inspected by the Minister
for War, Lord Kitchener’s great successor. It was the one hundredth
“THE POW-WOW ” 125
inspection, and many thought that it would be the last before leaving
for the front. In a way these optimists were right.
On Thursday Von Kluck, at the head of a triumphant band,
entered Paris, with the Kaiser at his side; while, at almost precisely
the same hour, Mackensen and the Crown Prince watched Petrograd
flame into nothingness.
On Friday came the Great Cataclysm—the end of the world.
Strange that Fate, Destiny —what you will—should choose that
day for the final act. Or was it just the last, glorious, victory of
good over evil? Who shall say? And after the end—Saturday !
Have you ever left your body and travelled through space un-
hampered by the flesh ?
Lie out on the moors some glorious summer day and listen to
the murmur of the sea. Let the wind play about your head while
you gaze upward into the blue. Watch that little white cloud
floating above you, like a ship at sea, imperceptibly changing shape ;
—now a whale, now a snow-capped peak, now a mocking diabolical
face, grinning at the futility of life. Forget everything you ever
knew; open your soul to the infinite; and wait.
And it shall come to pass that your ego, your innermost self,
leaving behind the fetters of the flesh, shall soar upward, free and
untrammelled, a very Ariel. Upward, upward, ever higher, while
earth, with its myriad tongues, sinks to oblivion beneath. Free
from the bondage of the senses, you shall float there like a bubble
on a still day, Nirvana, the Ultimate Peace, attained.
Thus shall you realise to some extent the strange emotions of
those that saw that Saturday.
Imagine, if you can, a mighty mass of souls, extending rank
upon rank, into the far distance; a mass divided into two parts.
The one is composed mainly of kindly souls, the souls of good fathers
and tender brothers, the souls of upright, earnest men; but at
their head is a group of different appearance. Bloated, arrogant,
ambitious souls these, inflated with false pride and selfishness. And
at the heart of each, bad and good alike, lies one little virtue, gone
bad : the spirit of patriotism, turned astray, running amok.
Look now at the second part. There is little difference, on the
whole, between these and the others, save that the heart is sound.
But here are no false leaders, no imposed aristocracy.
Look closely among these, and you will find one special group,
126 THE HISTORY/OF THE © U.Pis-
a very fine body of souls. They are drawn up at attention, dressed
by the right, numbered and proved. Every glossy wing is burnished,
every harp shines in the light. Not a feather is awry, not a spot
stains the pure white of their garments. For this is the Last Inspec-
tion. ‘* Brigade—present—harps!’’ comes the order. And thus
they stand, awaiting their doom. |
And thus we leave them, standing there expectant, as they have
stood so often before.
Ex SInp.
The bound volumes of The Pow-wow can be purchased from
Messrs. Birch and Whittington, High Street, Epsom.
Another interesting artistic endeavour was the U.P.S. Song-
book written by Pte. A. W. Lloyd of the 19th Battalion, and
set to well-known tunes. The songs had reference to current
questions in the life of the Brigade, and of course the specula-
tion as to when the Brigade would be sent to the front was
not omitted; thus:
They tell us we are down for active service,
In Belgium or in other foreign parts ;-
And they promise that the corps
Is brigaded for the war—
For the front’s the thing on which we’ve set our hearts.
But if summer comes and finds us still in training,
We might as well be called an O.T.C.
If we see no operations,
Or at least some foreign stations,
With the U.P.S. ‘twill then all be U.P.
CHORUS
On Sunday they say we'll go to Flanders,
On Monday we’re down for Nice or Cannes ;
On Tuesday we smile
When they hint at the Nile,
On Wednesday the Soudan,
On Thursday it’s Malta or Gibraltar,
On Friday they’d send us to Lahore,
But on Saturday we're willing
To bet an even shilling,
We're here for the duration of the war.
“THE POW-WOW ” 127
The gradual depletion of the ranks as commissions were
granted inspired the following set to the tune of “Ten Little
Nigger Boys’’:
Eight little P.S.U.’s, feeling fit for heaven,
One joined the Flying Corps, and then there were seven.
Six little P.S.U.’s, tired of being alive,
One applied for Sandhurst, and then there were five.
Five little P.S.U.’s, found the ranks a bore,
The worst got gazetted, and then there were four.
And so on. Finally we have:
On the road to La Bassée
Where the Huns await ‘‘ The Day,”
*Twill be slow for girls in Epsom
When the ‘‘ U.P.S.” have marched away.
We conclude with the following clever lines by the versatile
Martor,. C,H.”
As one who, in the passing of the sun,
Sees an epitome of day’s decline,
The splendour and the pathos, much begun,
But little ended save a faint design
On flimsy fabric that the night-wind takes
And breaks.
So I: the sun is setting as the word
‘* Finis ’’—inevitable as the night—
Scrawls from the drying pen, and lo are stirred
Dreams of before, the wonder, the delight
Of all beginnings. Who would think them made
To fade ?
The temple of the God of Platitude
Is ever open. Pilgrims come and go,
And some too eager worshippers intrude
Upon the very rites; an even flow
Of elegiac verse were flat no doubt
Without.
7
THE HISTORY OF THE “U.P.S.”
But I would write, avoiding commonplace,
Recalling all the lays that we have sung,
Of Epsom, Ashtead, Leatherhead ; retrace
Our steps to when the war—and we—were young,
Then, leaving all to memory, forget
Regret.
My Muse is gone, she will not tune again
The slackened strings, so I will cast away
The useless lyre; and yet, the songs remain,
The pages stand. Perchance when we are grey
The yellowed leaves will bring back youth,
And so,
Cheer Oh!
[The ** Pow-wow.”
Printed by Hazell, Watson & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury.
via d a
y 7 a :
le ;
. =, Se
7 a eet
f i + j
: |
|
GretagMacbeth™ ColorChecker Color Rendition Chart
Live Music
Archive
Librivox
Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland
Museum of Art
Internet
Arcade
Console Living Room
Open Library
American
Libraries
TV News
Understanding
9/11